Undercover Queers and the Homophobic Society
by fireproof potatoes
Summary: What do you do if you're gay and you'd be condemned if the wizarding world ever found out? Harry and his friends have a unique solution. But nothing can remain hidden forever. AU, HPDM, etc.
1. Cats, Queers, and Shopkeepers' Daughters

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned or manipulated in this story. The plot, however, is my own, and I would like for it to stay that way. I make no profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I got this idea a while ago and I've been trying to make a decent story from it. (The first draft was absolutely awful and everyone who looked at it got horribly confused!) Anyways, I hope you like it. I've got a couple of warnings coming up so I suggest you read those.

Warnings: There is SLASH! Yes, SLASH! SLASH, SLASH, SLASH, SLASH! I hope you get the idea. Though it may not seem like it at first, this is a Harry/Draco focused fic. There are other slash pairings (and some lesbian ones) but I won't go into as much detail for those. I usually like to do rather heavy sex scenes but since this is I'll either post the heavier love-making scenes on another website or on my homepage. Anyways, whenever a lemon is present in my story, you will be warned at the beginning of the chapter. There's nothing more than a teeny bit of chaste kissing and not-so-chaste licking in this one. Neither act involves Harry or Draco, though. Sorry.

**Undercover Queers and the Homophobic Society**

**Chapter One: A Menagerie of Cats, Queers, and Shopkeepers' Daughters**

Although September had just started, the air was unusually chilly. This morning, as Ginny and I left the mansion we shared with a number of friends, a scarf was thrown at me.

"Where do you think you are going without proper outerwear?" Hermione looked at me sternly. "Imagine! It would be just like you to die from a cold after defeating the darkest wizard of our time!"

"Sorry, Hermione, I won't forget my scarf again." I looked behind her at Ron, who merely shrugged an apology. I shrugged in return. Hermione had always been health conscientious. Everyone was used to it by now.

I waved goodbye and turned towards Ginny. We walked down towards the outer limits of the wards with her arm looped around my own.

"I don't really need a scarf, you know. It's not that chilly." I pulled the scarf tighter around my neck as a particularly cold gust of wind blew towards us.

"You're lucky, you know. As I was leaving, Hermione threw _three_ scarves at me! I'm baking right now!" I looked at her. She stood at least a foot shorter than me. Beneath her pretty red hair, I saw three thick scarves, each a different, very vibrant color. The elves must have rejected Hermione's scarves again, I figured. When we reached the outside of the wards, Ginny let go of my arm.

"I'll race you to Florean Fortescue's," she grinned impishly. I couldn't help but grin back.

"Loser makes dinner," I dared. "For everyone."

"Well, then. You'd better be a damn good cook, Mr. Potter, because _you_, my friend, are going to lose this race." And with that, she apparated.

"Hey!" I yelled, and then apparated myself to the Leaky Cauldron, as well, If I was lucky, I would make it there before her.

* * *

With a loud POP I appeared in the Leaky Cauldron, just in time to see Ginny's red hair flip through the doorway leading to Diagon Alley.

"Hi, Tom!" I said to the landlord as I ran after Ginny.

I ran as fast as I could but found the entrance to Diagon Alley closed. _Damn!_ She must have gotten through already. I hit the proper stones as quickly as I could without messing up and ran out onto the street. I nearly toppled a woman who was carrying a large number of bags and two children.

"Sorry!" I called as I kept running. I could hear her mumble something about 'crazy kids' as I left her behind. I looked ahead of me and saw Ginny nearly run over an old man. She turned her head to apologize but saw me and kept running. I was gaining on her.

Just as I was close enough to reach out and touch her hair, I saw her point her wand at me and before I could react, I tripped over something that wasn't there. By the time I managed to re-orient myself, I saw her run into the ice cream shop.

I walked the rest of the way, since I had obviously lost and there was no point in running anymore and when I got to her, I glared.

"You cheated," I said, "twice."

"No, I didn't," she was out of breath and panting heavily. "All's fair in love and, er, food."

I let her catch her breath before she spoke again.

"Your cooking's awesome, Harry. I'm sure everyone will be happy that I won this race." I couldn't help but grin. I took pride in my cooking abilities.

"Come on; let's go do what we came here for." Ginny's arm found its way around my own again and our fingers intertwined.

* * *

"How about this one?" Ginny was pointing to a rather mangy-looking cat that looked bored and was eyeing Ginny's finger hungrily.

"I don't know, Ginny. I'm not sure she'd like that one." There were mats in its fur and it looked as though it had been picked up out of a dumpster. Besides, its nameplate said, _Vicious_. I just wanted to get Ginny away from it before it attacked her finger.

"Let's ask the lady at the desk if there's anything else that Hermione might want."

Ginny and I were in Magical Menagerie, looking for Hermione's birthday present. The whole gang was going to throw her a surprise birthday party later tonight. It had been very hard keeping the plans from her. Ron, especially, had difficulty. Ginny had to put a charm on him to prevent him from spilling the beans. Ginny and I had decided to get her a new cat as Crookshanks had passed away just over a year ago. We weren't having much luck, though.

"Excuse me? Is anyone there?" Ginny rang the little bell on the table and leaned over the counter in hopes that she would see someone in the back.

I heard noises and several meows and – was that an elephant? – before a rather slender woman emerged from the back room.

"Why, hello. How are you folks tod– " She stopped suddenly when she saw who we were.

"What a pleasure it is to meet you, Mr. Potter," she eyes were locked on me but she pulled them away slowly to look at Ginny. "And your lovely new wife! Congratulations! To the both of you!"

"Thank you, ma'am." Ginny smiled but she missed the small glare the shopkeeper sent her way.

"Oh no, don't call me ma'am! I mustn't be any older than the two of you. And I'm not married yet." She shot a glance my way. "I'm just helping my mother with the shop for a few weeks!"

"How generous of you!" Ginny seemed to like this girl. I didn't, though. But, then again, I didn't like many girls.

"We're looking for a gift for a friend, actually," I interrupted.

"Oh, really?" Her attention was back on me. "Anything in particular?"

"Yes, actually," Ginny again. "We want to get her a cat."

"Do you have anything that's not wanted by anyone else?" I asked. The woman looked at me quizzically.

"Are you sure this is for a friend?"

"Yes," Ginny said, "she's always been one to help those less fortunate than herself. She would prefer a cat that is less likely to get a nice home."

"Your friend is very kind-hearted. May I ask the occasion?"

"Her birthday," I said. "Could you please show us some cats?"

The woman nodded and led us towards the opposite corner of the store, where Vicious was.

"A cat other than Vicious, if you please." I really did not like that cat.

"Of course, if you would wait just one moment. I may have a cat that your dear friend would just love." The shopkeeper disappeared into the back.

"You really don't like that cat, do you?" Ginny grinned at me.

"Nope," I said, "If you ask me, that cat would not hesitate to rip my throat out in my sleep." Ginny laughed. I smiled at her.

"Ahem."

I turned around and the shopkeeper was back with a cage. She looked annoyed.

"I think that this cat would be perfect for your friend." She placed the cage on the counter and opened it. She reached in carefully and pulled out an old long-haired cat.

"Oh, it's beautiful!" Ginny exclaimed. I looked at the cat and couldn't argue. It really was. It was cream-colored with bits of grey here and there. If I had to guess, I would say that it was Siamese.

"What breed?" Ginny asked.

"It's a mix," the woman answered. "A Persian-Siamese mix, I think. It's a girl, by the way." Well, I was half right

"She's beautiful! Why doesn't anyone want her?" Ginny looked into the cat's blue eyes.

"It's because she's missing a leg. Everyone thinks she'd be a burden. We were actually going to put her down if nobody bought her by tomorrow." The woman frowned. I hadn't even noticed it was missing a leg.

"Missing a leg! That's no reason not to pick her! She's gorgeous!" Ginny was in love. That's when I decided. If Ginny loved it, then Hermione would, too.

"We'll take it," I said.

* * *

"So, she doesn't have a name, huh?" Ginny said. "I'm sure Hermione will pick out a name that's lovely enough for this beauty."

Ginny had the cat – which, I must say, cost a pretty penny – in its cage and was careful not to swing the cage about and startle the cat. Ginny grabbed my hand.

"I think Hermione will love her. Don't you?" Before I could answer, she was speaking again. "Oh, I should pay you back for half of it, don't you think?"

"It's fine, Ginny," I said, "You need do no such thing."

"But I feel bad giving her a present that technically isn't from me." Ginny frowned.

"You picked it out, Ginny. In essence, you contributed the most." Ginny looked up at me and I felt a tight squeeze on my hand. Ginny said nothing.

"Ginny, you're welcome." She smiled.

* * *

"We're back!" Ginny yelled as we entered the mansion we shared with our friends. She placed the cage on the floor. I had cast a disillusionment charm on it to make it look like a regular shopping bag. While Ginny struggled with her scarves, a number of faces greeted us. Hermione, Ron, and Luna all stood in the doorway. They all had smiles on their faces but both Luna and Ron knew why Ginny and I had gone out. Hermione, I guess, was just happy to see us.

"What did you go out for?" Hermione asked, curious as usual.

"Not much, really," Ginny answered while unbuttoning her jacket. "Just wanted to go out is all. I picked up a gift for Mum at Flourish and Blott's. A couple of fancy quills." Hermione didn't ask any more questions. Quills weren't all that exciting after all. That is, unless they meowed.

"What was that?" Hermione asked at the sound. Ginny, of course, was prepared with a cover story.

"Oh, Harry and I went to that new candy shop, you know the one, and he tried a couple of candies. I told him to be careful, but he didn't listen to me and he's been meowing since we left." Ron chuckled. I glared. Ginny, now free of all stifling outerwear, grabbed her shopping bag.

"I'm going to put this upstairs. I'll be down in a jiffy," she said. "Thanks, Harry, for taking me out." She stood on her tiptoes and planted a light kiss on my cheek. Ron and Hermione left the room and I started to unbutton my own jacket. Ginny neared Luna on the stairs and gave her a nice chaste kiss on the lips.

"Welcome back, Ginny," Luna said. "Mind if I come up and see those fancy quills you bought? You know how I've always loved quills." Ginny laughed and they both walked up the stairs, talking quietly to each other.

I hung my jacket up in the hallway closet and searched for Ron and Hermione; they were both in the kitchen.

"You shouldn't eat now, Ronald! It's so close to dinnertime!" Hermione was chastising Ron who had his mouth full of something that was unrecognizable but smelled strongly like peanut butter. There may have been a bit of bread there, as well, but it was hard to tell.

I pulled out one of the bar stools and dipped my finger in the open jar of peanut butter. I got quite a bit and stuck my finger in my mouth to lick it off. Hermione rolled her eyes.

"Really! You men are so disgusting sometimes, you know that? I don't think I want to eat that peanut butter anymore!" Ron smiled.

"That's alright, Hermione, that way there's more for Harry and I." I grinned and Hermione looked about ready to explode. I almost feared that she would smash what was left of the peanut butter onto Ron's head. Instead, she merely rolled her eyes.

"My stupid husband," she said and played with the ring on her left hand. Ron merely grinned and ate more peanut butter.

"Where're Draco, Pansy, and Blaise?" I asked with trouble. My tongue was currently stuck to the top of my mouth.

"They've gone out," Hermione frowned. "They should be back soon. Anyways, did you have fun shopping with Ginny?"

I tried to answer, but since I had taken another large mouthful of peanut butter out of the jar, my tongue was irrevocably and eternally stuck to the top of my mouth. All I could manage was, "Mhmhm…mhm."

Hermione sighed, looked at both Ron and I, looked at the half-empty peanut butter jar, looked back at me, sighed again, sat down at the bar stool next to me, stuck her finger in the jar, and licked the peanut butter off her mouth. I cheered.

"'nd you shed mhen were grossh!" The fact that Ron managed to say that much at all impressed me. Hermione glared at him and smeared peanut butter across his face. I couldn't help but laugh. That is, until I got a nice face-full of peanut butter myself. I looked at Ron, who had a mischievous smile on his face. I grinned. This was war.

* * *

"Hey! Is anybody here?" I heard the back door slam shut.

"Be careful, you big oaf!" Pansy's voice was unmistakable. I could also hear the voices of Draco and Blaise. There was also a lot of shuffling and then a crash was heard.

"Blaise!" Both Pansy and Draco yelled at the same time. Blaise had an odd habit of being rather clumsy. He was even clumsier than me sometimes.

I looked at both Ron and Hermione, who both had peanut butter smeared all over their faces and necks. Judging by the weird sticky stuff I felt on my face, I figured I looked very much like them.

Footsteps could be heard nearing the kitchen. I looked to Hermione who quickly cast a cleaning spell upon herself. I was about to do the same when a voice was heard from the kitchen door.

"Ugh! What the hell were you two doing in here? You look gross!" Draco's nose was scrunched up and he seemed to be unable to move any closer to us than the doorway.

Pansy pushed past him, threw a disgusted look my way – I grinned sheepishly at her, and she rolled her eyes, but smiled back – and made her way towards Hermione.

"Boys," Hermione said, "What can you expect?" She smiled as Pansy kissed her on the lips. "Welcome back, love." Both Ron and I sent a glare her way. Hermione was just as messy as us not fifty seconds ago!

Ron pulled out his wand and attempted to cast a self-cleaning spell, as well.

"Oh, don't do that," Blaise said, "I was always rather fond of peanut butter." Blaise set his shopping bags on the ground and leaned towards Ron. He then proceeded to lick some of the peanut butter off Ron's cheek. "I never realized you were so kinky, Ronnie baby. I just got some great ideas for later tonight." Blaise smiled and Ron's blush could be seen even through the thick layer of peanut butter on most parts of his face.

I looked at Draco, and lifted my eyebrow suggestively.

"Oh hell no," was his response. "There is no way I'm even touching you, Harry, when you've got that crap all over your face." I frowned.

"You will go upstairs and shower right now," Draco had set his bags on the floor but refused to come any closer. I smiled at him in what I hoped was a seductive way. He didn't budge. Seductive? Apparently not. Draco's last word only reiterated my seductive-ness-less

"Alone."

A/N: I am well aware that all my characters are homosexually inclined and that the chances of that happening in real life are slim to none. Please don't flame me on that fact, because I'm already well aware of it and will merely ignore you.

I am also aware that more than a few of you may be confused by what's going on so far. The next chapter should clarify the situation as it's rather complicated.

Anyways, this chapter has not been beta'd. If anyone wants to volunteer to beta my fic (and can show me that they have experience), that would be wonderful! I have not yet written the next chapter, but hope to soon. Please bear with me as my life usually gets the better of me, but I will absolutely do my best to make sure this fic is completed in a decent amount of time.

I don't know how long this will be, but I already have a plan for the whole story, so I have a guideline and know what will happen at the end. However, just because I've already got a guideline, doesn't mean that you can't add your suggestions. I've been playing with the idea of switching this fic from first person narrative to third person semi-omniscient. Please let me know what you think. Each POV has its own advantages and disadvantages.

By the way, I mentioned reader suggestions earlier. I need a name for Hermione's cat. Remember that it's a girl. I would prefer a name that has some sort of significance to Hermione, but any suggestion is welcome.

If there are any questions as to what's going on or if people would like some more background information that would help them understand my story better, please let me know, and I will do my best to include it in the next chapter.

Hope you enjoyed!

fireproof potatoes


	2. The Birthday Party That Wasn't So Queer

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned or manipulated in this story. The plot, however, is my own, and I would like for it to stay that way. I make no profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I am SOOOO sorry that I didn't update sooner. I had actually planned to have this chapter out a week and a half ago. However, I've been very sick for about two weeks. I've had to stay home from school and sleep. As soon as I was able to sit at the computer without feeling nauseous or getting a headache, I started to type this story up. Terribly sorry for the wait!

I plan on thanking my reviewers individually after the story. Thank you so much for reviewing! When I got my first review, I was in a euphoric state for a couple of days. It was like being high without actually doing anything illegal or consuming extravagant amounts of sugar. Thank you all!

Chapter Warning: There's nothing graphic in this chapter. Just some kissing and frequent sex-related jokes or discussions. Next chapter is going to be exciting, though!

* * *

**Undercover Queers and the Homophobic Society**

**Chapter Two: The Birthday Party That Wasn't So Queer **

I trudged up the stairs to the main hallway that branched off into everybody's bedrooms. I had left my playful mood in the kitchen with Draco and the others, and was now feeling rather, well, rather somber.

I passed Ginny and Luna's room – the door was closed (for obvious reasons) and when I reached the room Draco and I shared, I quickly shut the door and stripped, throwing my clothes into a pile on the messy side of the room. For kicks, I deliberately flung a sock over onto Draco's side. That's what he gets for refusing to kiss me in the kitchen. Once I looked into the mirror, however, I could hardly blame him for being grossed out. Some of the peanut butter had dried and was now crusty and cracking as though my skin was really dry. I looked like the Thing from the Fantastic Four comics. Not a flattering look, I must say.

I tried my best to wash off the peanut butter in the sink and then hopped into the shower. The warm water was heaven for my back. It was like being caressed by… a thousand fingers of silk or… Draco. Mmmm… yes, Draco.

I washed my entire body all over, paying special attention to my face and hair as those were the places that had suffered a plague of extra smooth peanut butter. As I scrubbed I thought back to the beginning of it all, when my homosexuality became a part of my identity. Well, not my public identity – I was still ramrod straight to the rest of the wizarding world – but my private identity, the identity that only the most trustworthy were privileged to see. My thoughts turned from peanut butter and food fights to the day that I first came out in sixth year to Ron and Hermione, my first and best friends.

"_Ron, Hermione, there's something I have to tell you." They were by the fireplace in Gryffindor common room. This was it. I was finally going to tell them. It had taken me a while to figure out that I was gay (though I figure the dreams and strange physical attraction to a number of boys in Hogwart's should have clued me in earlier). Now I was ready to tell them. They were my best friends after all. Since sexual orientation is such a large part of one's identity, I figured they ought to know. _

_I led them to the sixth year boys' dorm and made sure that nobody could listen in or suddenly interrupt us. Hermione looked worried and Ron, well, he just looked like he usually did._

"_Is something wrong, Harry?" Hermione put her hand on my knee. I was sitting on the bed across from her and she leaned forward to look in my eyes. I stood up quickly, startling her and started to pace._

"_I guess you could say that," was my only answer. Ron was definitely paying attention now._

"_What's wrong, Harry?" he said._

"_Me! Er, no wait. That's not right. Let me start over." I looked up at them and stopped my footsteps. I grabbed and pulled at my robes as I told them. _

"_You see," I said. That was a good start, wasn't it? Yes, I'd say so. "I'm not exactly normal" Hermione's eyebrow went up. "What I mean is – please you guys, don't think any poorly of me for what I say here. I mean, I'll understand if you don't want to be my friends anymore. Just please listen to what I say before you speak, okay?" I looked for some sign that I could go on. I saw it._

"_You see, I'm sort of not attracted to girls." Ron's lips twitched at the sides, like he was trying not to smile._

"_You mean you're gay?" he said._

"_Exactly!" I looked at them worriedly. Would their reaction be good or bad?_

"_Really, Harry!" Hermione said. She looked as though she were relieved. "You had us worried it was something serious. Like you were switching sides and joining Voldemort or something." I was appalled! Of course it was serious! Maybe not as serious as treachery, but serious all the same!_

"_Harry," Ron's grave tone made me turn to look at him. "You must never tell anyone else about this, do you understand me? Have you told anybody else?" The question confused me. Why should it matter if people knew I was gay? I mean, I realize there are many people who believe that homosexuality is a dirty blasphemous sin and that those who committed it were doomed to burn in purgatory for all eternity, but there are also people who just don't give a hoot._

"_I haven't told anyone else. Why can't I tell anyone else?" _

"_You don't know, mate?" Ron asked, "Oh, that's right; I had to explain it to Hermione, too, when she told me."_

"_Explain what?" Now, all fears of revealing my sexuality gone, I had new worries. What was Ron on about?_

"_Harry, how do people treat homosexuals in the Muggle world?" Ron seemed very knowledgeable at that moment and I had never felt more like a child._

"_Well, it's not bad, but there is definitely some prejudice. And homosexuals don't seem to get as many privileges as heterosexuals. It really depends on the person. Some are more prejudicial than others. Things are getting better, though."_

"_Harry, in the wizarding world, it's not like that." I got a bad feeling in my stomach. "In the wizarding world, it's a crime to be homosexual. You can be tried and prosecuted for it, Harry. That means Azkaban. They do some awful things to homosexuals in this world, Harry. The prejudice against them is even worse than that of pure-bloodedness."_

"_Oh, Merlin," I was at a loss for words._

"_Harry," this time Hermione did the explaining. "Homosexuals are not considered 'persons' under wizarding law. They have virtually no rights. It's very medieval, but that's how it is. Harry, you can't tell anyone. You'd be ruined if it ever became public."_

"_I can't tell anyone… Well, if that's not a kick in the head, I don't know what is." _

_Ever since that day, I have never told anybody about my sexual preference – just lovers or those who I'd trust with my life, which, essentially, is what I do when I tell people. It's hard. I had to obliviate a boy once. He had seduced me and when he confirmed my homosexuality, he threatened to take it to the Daily Prophet. I had no choice but to erase his memory. I, unfortunately, managed to mess up and accidentally erased more than I had intended. Boy, was that a mess._

_Shortly after Ron and Hermione explained the disheartening situation to me, I learned that both of them were homosexual, too. It surprised me since they had been publicly dating for nearly a year by that time. A cover, they said. Not a year later, I started dating Ginny, who, I discovered, was not in the slightest bit interested in boys.

* * *

_

"Surprise!" we all yelled, as Hermione and Pansy walked through the door. Pansy had subtly taken Hermione out for coffee while the rest of us stayed here to decorate and, in my case, cook dinner. Instead of yelling in surprise (as Hermione was not an easy person to surprise), she turned to look at Pansy, who could do nothing but smile.

"You knew," Hermione said slowly, and her eyes narrowed, "and you never told me."

"Of course not, Hermione!" Ron piped up. "The whole point of a surprise party is to surprise the one it's for! Besides, Pansy's the one who did most of the planning!" Hermione's gaze softened at that and she rewarded Pansy with a deep, meaningful kiss on the lips. Everyone started to clap and cheer – that is, until the buzzer indicating the food was ready went off in the kitchen. The first one to break the silence was Ron.

"Dinner!" Everyone rushed towards the dining table and I went into the kitchen to get the food ready.

I turned off the oven and pulled out the lasagna. The cheese was bubbling on top. Perfect. I remember where I got the recipe, actually. I had tried a bit of Draco's lasagna years ago, when he was living in a flat and I was still unmarried. It had been absolutely superb. After I questioned him incessantly as to where he had gotten it, he finally admitted that it was a secret family recipe, passed down from generation to generation. It was, of course, the first thing the house elves learned to make when they came to Malfoy Manor. I liked it so much I made Draco bully one of his father's elves to get it. I've treasured it ever since.

"Would you like some help?" It was Draco. Before I could turn to look at him, I felt strong arms wrap around me from behind.

"That's alright, Draco. This is my domain." He laughed.

"You know," he said, "you look good in an apron." I was wearing a rather plain-looking apron. It was dark green in color and said, BARBEQUE KING (the KING was crossed out with permanent marker and someone had written QUEEN instead – Blaise, no doubt). I didn't see what was so special about it.

"But not peanut butter?" I asked. He chuckled

"No, not peanut butter." He kissed me beneath my ear and I felt his arms leave me. I glared at him.

"You wanker!" He just smiled.

"Not with you around, babe." He managed to miss the suddenly airborne serving spoon by less than an inch.

* * *

"Oh, Pansy! It's lovely! It looks just like the one my grandmother used to have." Hermione looked at the brooch she held in her hands. It was beautiful, I had to say. It was made of some sort of shiny whitish material – shell perhaps – and the metal of the frame may have been gold, but I couldn't tell. What I can tell you for sure is that there was a picture of a bird on it – I'm not sure what kind, a dove perhaps, or maybe even a phoenix – and it was frozen just as it was taking flight. It was very well-crafted. 

"Thank you, Pansy, love. I'll always cherish it." Hermione was sitting next to Pansy on the loveseat. She leaned in and kissed Pansy on the cheek. Pansy looked thoroughly pleased with herself.

"Now you've opened everyone's present but the one from me and Harry." Ginny was sitting on a pile of cushions with Luna near the fireplace, where a hot fire was currently roaring. I imagine they were quite warm.

"Ok, let's see. What is it you two have gotten me?" Hermione reached towards her present, but just as she was about to pull off the wrapping paper, her present meowed. Hermione's eyes widened and she gasped. "You didn't!"

"We did!" Ginny could not control herself. She launched herself from Luna's lap to sit next to Hermione as she opened her last present.

When the cat was released, there was a collective gasp. Everyone (but Ron and I) leaned in to get a better look at the new member of the household.

"She's gorgeous, Ginny!" the cat was shyly warming up to Hermione as she stroked it behind its ears.

"Good choice, Ginny," Pansy said, "It's something I would have chosen."

"Hey!" I said, actually rather jealous that Ginny was getting all the credit for the present _we both_ gave to Hermione. "It's from me, too." Before Pansy could say anything, Hermione spoke up.

"Thank you, Harry. You did well. Thank you, too, Ginny. I'd rather missed having a furry feline around all the time."

"So, what are you going to name her?" asked Luna. Hermione looked at the cat as she curled up in Luna's lap by the warm fire.

"Well, I don't know. It's a girl, right?"

"Yep!" Ginny was either looking longingly at the cat, or at Luna's lap. "You know, you could name her something cute, like 'Kitty' or 'Fluffy' or 'Snowball'." I looked at Ginny pointedly.

"You do realize that she is not white and therefore 'Snowball' would be an inappropriate name for her, right? You'd have to name her 'Dirty Snowball' or something, to account for all the gray." Ginny wrinkled her nose at me.

"I thought it was cute, that's all."

"Hey!" Ron piped up. "How about 'Tripod'!" Blaise burst into laughter at this and clutched his stomach as nearly everyone else wrinkled their noses at Ron.

"Ugh! That has got to be one of the most horrible names I've ever heard!" Draco was shocked at Ron's complete lack of sense. "Where do you come up with these things?"

"Well, the cat _does _have three legs, you know," Ron mumbled. He looked quite flustered at the direct insult on the name which he considered to be actually quite clever when Hermione managed to silence everyone with a single word.

"Persephone."

It earned her a unanimous "what?"

"Persephone. That cat looks just like my Great Aunt Persephone. She's dead now, I think." She looked away from the cat and when she was answered with silence, added, "No really, the nose, the whiskers, the color of her hair. Aunt Persephone!"

"Well, that's kind of weird," Ginny said. "Maybe this cat is your aunt reincarnated." She laughed.

"Well, Persephone is a nice name, if a little odd. Maybe that should be the cat's name." I'm not sure why Hermione's great aunt was called Persephone, but the name suited the cat rather well, I thought.

"Yes, I think it's a good name." Hermione said. "Persephone."

All was silent for a blessed moment but then, of course, Ron had to add his two bits in. He had a rather disgruntled look on his face as though he simply couldn't fathom the idea of what was about to come out of his mouth.

"Your aunt had whiskers?"

* * *

"Do you remember that time when you two almost got caught shagging in a park a few years back?" Ron was definitely enjoying himself. Discussing my and Draco's little sexual escapades always managed to get the rest of the group laughing. I never understood why. Stories of everyone else's sexual adventures or blunders never earned quite as hearty a laugh from the group. Why ours? Well, perhaps it was because they were so frequent, or because we risked discovery by the wizarding world so often, or because they were just plain funny. I don't know. Every so often, Draco and I liked to talk about things that weren't so funny when they were happening but were roaringly hilarious when we had managed to get over it and laugh about it after a nice bout of shagging. But then, I had supposed most couples were like that. Perhaps our pairing was odder than I thought it was. 

"Hey, I'm going to go get some wine." Draco smoothly got up from the couch and disappeared into the kitchen.

"Wonder why we hadn't thought of that earlier." Ron said.

Just as he finished his sentence, we heard the sounds of a knock on the front door and someone coming in and taking off their shoes.

"Hello!" we heard from the foyer.

Now, before things get complicated and people start moving around let me explain our current seating arrangement. Pansy and Hermione were sitting on the loveseat, hand-in-hand; Ginny and Luna were on a pile of pillows near the fireplace; Blaise and Ron had squished two chairs together as much as possible and were sitting in them, leaning in to each other; and Draco and I had been stretched out on the couch before he'd headed to the kitchen. As soon as we heard the voice in the foyer (it could only be someone friendly as we would have been alerted to an unwanted presence), we started to shift places. Ginny moved from Luna's lap to sit next to me. Blaise moved from his chair and sat next to Luna by the fire. Hermione quickly kissed Pansy on the cheek and moved to take Blaise's old chair.

Just as Hermione sat down, Fred Weasley walked into the living room. There was a collective sigh and everyone started to move back to their original places.

"Oh, no, you don't," he said. "As much as you want to sit next to each other – especially today, on Hermione's birthday – my mother is about two minutes behind me and she's got my son. I suggest you stay where you are." Fred, as is evident, knew about our true preferences. Molly Weasley, however, did not. It's not that we didn't tell her because we didn't trust her. With the loss of her husband and two of her sons in the war, we decided that we would not voluntarily inflict any more trauma on her than need be.

Right on time, Mrs. Weasley's voice could be heard from the foyer, as well as the voice of someone much younger.

"Arthur, take off your shoes before walking into someone else's home!" A pause. "Arthur!" A longer pause and then a sigh. "You're just like your father was." Everyone laughed and then a young voice came running into the room.

"Auntie Ginny! Uncle Hawwy!" A rather short boy came running into the room. His hair wasn't red like his father's. He had inherited his mother's dark hair and his father's freckles, though they were hard to see as his skin was considerably darker than his father's. After blessing Ginny and I with rather large hugs, the boy ran to the chairs where Ron and Hermione sat.

"Uncle Won!" Ron received a rather eager hug. "Auntie Hermy-own!" Hermione's hug was softer and Fred's son, Arthur, stayed with his favorite aunt. "Aunty Hermy-own, it's your birthday today. Did you know that? It was my birthday one week ago! I turned five whole years old. Did you know that?" Hermione looked quite pleased.

"Why, yes, Arthur! Thank you for remembering! Of course I knew it was your birthday last week! I gave you a present, remember?" Arthur blushed.

"Yeah…" Hermione smiled at her nephew.

"Hey Artie, you forgot to give your dad a hug!" Fred opened his arms and Arthur ran at them, yelling "Daddy!" Just then, Mrs. Weasley walked in, looked rather tired. Ginny and I moved over to give her room on the couch but she just waved at the empty seat and stood next to her son.

"Fred, if you call him that enough, he'll forget where his name came from." Though she had no problem shortening her own children's names, Mrs. Weasley never liked to hear Arthur's name shortened to Artie.

"Arthur, tell me where your name came from." Mrs. Weasley did this often. Arthur let go of his father, stood up straight, and recited:

"I am named after my grandpa Arthur who fought and died in the Second Wizarding War which I will learn about in school. He was a hero. He saved my father's life. I should be honored to have his name." It always impressed me how the kid could say it perfectly every time.

"Good," Mrs. Weasley said. "Have you said hello to everyone?"

"Yep!" At Mrs. Weasley's nod, which meant that she was pleased with him, Arthur clutched his father's hand and pulled him to the couch. After Fred sat down, Arthur moved onto his father's lap and struggled to stay awake. It was rather late for a five-year-old, after all.

Fred looked at me as his son snuggled up close to him. I smiled and suddenly wished that I had a son of my own.

"I've brought some hors d'œuvres for our guests." Draco came from the kitchen carrying a tray of snacks. He set it down on the coffee table in the middle of the room and went to sit next to Pansy without the slightest hesitation.

"Why, thank you, Draco, dear." Mrs. Weasley politely reached out to grab something I could not recognize and after eating it, thanked Draco again.

After wiping her hand with a napkin, Mrs. Weasley turned her attention to Hermione.

"Happy birthday, Hermione!" Mrs. Weasley drew Hermione into a huge hug and Hermione squeaked her thanks. Hermione returned to her seat and Mrs. Weasley waved at her son to move. Ron jumped out of the chair so that his mother could sit next to Hermione. Unsure of what to do, Ron looked to Blaise who nodded his head in Hermione's direction. Ron quickly moved to sit on the arm of Hermione's chair and put his hand on her shoulder for balance.

Mrs. Weasley sat in the recently vacated chair and leaned towards Hermione as though about to share a secret.

"So, Hermione, dear, you love your nephew, is that correct? You think he's adorable, is that right?" Hermione nodded. Of course she loved her nephew. She spoiled him rotten, which was very unlike her.

"That's excellent, dear," Mrs. Weasley continued, "because I was wondering if you had considered having a child of your own. I would love another grandchild, you know." Hermione seemed at a loss for words and the rest of us were too uncomfortable to say anything. Everyone but Mrs. Weasley, after all, knew that Ron and Hermione would never engage in any act that could lead to the procreation of any offspring. Aside from the mandatory consummation of our marriages, those of us who were living together had never engaged in heterosexual intercourse. As far as I knew, anyway.

"Mum," Ron whined.

"What? You two have been married for almost a year now. Frankly, I'm surprised that you haven't announced a pregnancy. I would've thought that kids your age would be at it all the time." Mrs. Weasley said that last sentence as if it were the most normal thing in the world. This time everyone in the room – with the exception of Mrs. Weasley, who acted very nonchalant; Arthur, who was asleep on his father's lap; and Fred, who was trying his hardest not to laugh out loud at our expressions – blushed and no one said anything until Ron spoke up again.

"Mum…" he was very tense, "I would like it very much if you would not discuss or contemplate my – Hermione's – our – sex life in front of my friends."

"Sorry, dear," Mrs. Weasley didn't seem very sorry. "Perhaps another time."

"Perhaps."

Mrs. Weasley looked at her son pointedly. "So darling, it's Hermione's birthday. What did you get your lovely wife?" Ron's eyes went wide and he squeezed Hermione's shoulder in panic. He obviously had no idea what to say. The book on healer's studies that he had given to Hermione seemed rather lame in comparison with some of the other gifts she had received, especially the brooch from Pansy. Hermione, however, managed to save Ron's skin.

"Ron gave me this beautiful brooch, Mrs. Weasley." Ron's hand relaxed as Hermione smoothly handed the expensive brooch to her mother-in-law. Hermione glanced at Pansy and Pansy pouted at her. Although it was necessary to say the brooch was from Ron, I'm sure Pansy didn't like someone else taking credit for her gift idea.

"Oh, my! It's absolutely exquisite!" Mrs. Weasley examined the piece very closely. "I do believe I saw this piece in that old antique shop in Hogsmeade. It had a rather substantial price tag. Ron, you really bought this for Hermione?" Ron slowly nodded. Mrs. Weasley seemed impressed.

"Ron, dear, I wasn't aware your job at the Ministry was paying you that much. My birthday's coming up. I expect you will buy something of this caliber for your beloved mother if you can now afford such things." At this, Ron glared at the back of Hermione's head. His job at the Ministry was not even close to high-paying.

Fred and his mother stayed to visit with us and meet Persephone, the latest addition to our family (Hermione didn't have to lie about who the cat was from), but after about an hour, Fred said he had to take Arthur home and put him to bed.

"Sorry Angelina couldn't come tonight. She wishes you the best, Hermione." Fred lifted his son into his arms and Arthur protested the movement but wrapped his arms around his father's neck so as not to fall.

We all followed our guests to the foyer to see them off. Fred set Arthur on the foot of the stairs and struggled to put his warm snow-wear on the boy, who was leaning against the railing and struggling to keep his eyes open.

"Sorry for dropping by unannounced. Thank you for your hospitality." Mrs. Weasley helped her son with Arthur's elaborate jacket zipper.

"It was our pleasure, Mum," Ginny said, "Thanks for dropping by." Everyone voiced their thanks and we watched the three Weasleys stumble through the dark to the outside of the apparition wards and then disappear.

Ron closed the door to the horrible chilly breeze that had been curling around my ankles. He rubbed his hands together and looked towards the rest of us.

"Well," he said, "who's up for a game of strip poker?"

* * *

"Come on, someone go." 

"Okay, I'll go," Ginny said, "Last year with Luna on a pool table in Spain."

"That's my sister," Ron said.

"Okay, my weirdest place would have to be…the women's room at the Kodak Theatre during the Victoria's Secret fashion show." As soon as I said that, I got a number of responses. Some of them included:

"What the hell were you doing in Hollywood?"

"What the hell were you doing at a fashion show? For lingerie, no less!"

"Heh, you were one of the models, I bet. Or Draco. Heh."

"The women's washroom!"

"Hey! I haven't heard that story before!"

"Another time, folks. Who's next? What about you, Ron?" I didn't much feel like sharing another long story tonight.

"Oh…Falmouth." Everyone was silent. "Well, it's a really weird place."

"Oh, Hermione." After Luna said that, everyone looked at Hermione expectantly.

"Oh, come on; I already went."

"You did not!" Blaise said. Her refusal had definitely piqued my interest. Now, even though she didn't want it, she had everyone's attention.

"Alright…" Hermione looked around nervously and started petting Persephone. "Um, the foot of the bed." You could hear a pin drop.

"Step back…" Draco said.

"We have a winner!" I gestured towards Hermione. She blushed. Pansy grinned at Hermione. Maybe, I thought, Hermione's strangest place would change after tonight. I most certainly wouldn't be leaving the room tonight. Besides, if my plans went accordingly, Draco and I would be busy tonight, very busy indeed.

* * *

"Well, I'm terribly sorry, folks, but Ron and I have to turn in for the night." Blaise yawned very dramatically and pulled Ron up. Ron yawned (for real) and rubbed his eyes. I could tell that he didn't have enough energy for what Blaise most likely had in mind for tonight. Oh, well, none of my business, right? 

After Blaise and Ron left, though, everyone else seemed eager to get to bed. It was very late and none of us had to be anywhere in the morning. What night is better for that most intimate act many call 'it'? Oh, yes, though I was now heading up the stairs to the room Draco and I shared, I wouldn't be sleeping for a while longer. If I was lucky, I wouldn't get any sleep at all tonight.

I watched Draco as he ascended the stairs ahead of me and my thoughts became less raunchy. Watching his hips move back and forth as he put one foot in front of the other, I thought about just how handsome he was and how lucky I was to be with him. My eyes followed his form, from the sway of his hips, slowly moving up his back until finding his right shoulder, then sliding down his arm, pausing to tickle his wrist, and finally reaching his hand. His hand was lazily draped across the handrail and, as it was pulled by the rest of his body, his hand seemed to caress the handrail as though it were touching a lover. My gaze drifted from his hand and followed the handrail until I saw my own fingertips kissing the handrail like butterflies. I smiled then, feeling a strange connection to Draco. He touched this very spot, I thought, not a moment ago.

I was slightly startled out of my stupor when there were no more stairs to climb. I looked up to see Draco saying goodnight to our friends. After three doors had closed, Draco turned around to face me.

"You're not actually tired, are you?" he said, a sly grin on his face. "Because I have plans for us tonight." I didn't answer him. I could only look into his gray eyes. Gray, its own opposite. A color so dreary on a sidewalk yet absolutely stunning in my lover's eyes. Its own opposite. Its own complement.

"Are you alright?" Draco placed his hand on my shoulder, the same hand that had been touching the handrail earlier. My breath caught in my throat. At the bottom of the staircase, I had been looking for a roll in the hay with Draco. After climbing the stairs, however, I suddenly wanted to do more than just have a go at it. I wanted to love him. I wanted to hold him in my arms and feel his steady breath against my neck. I wanted to show him how much I cared, that I would never – could never – stop caring. I looked into his eyes again, which sparkled with something I was too distracted to recognize. I wanted him to know how I felt.

"I want you," was all I managed to croak out. His eyes softened and he smiled, pulling me into our bedroom.

I heard the door close behind me and I closed my eyes. Everywhere, I saw Draco. There was nothing but him. I felt a warm hand caress my cheek.

"Open your eyes, Darling; we're in Neverland, where Time is frozen and we can be together forever."

"Neverland is for children, Draco," I said. My eyes were still closed. "A child would never do what we do. Besides, my name's not Wendy."

"No, Harry, Neverland is whatever you want it to be. Open your eyes and see what I'm seeing." This time I complied, opening my eyes for Draco. I gasped as I opened them. Though we were still in our room, everything seemed different. I was looking at Draco. His hair sparkled as though made of sunlight. His smile was soft and his lips tender. His eyes… His eyes…

"Wow," I said. "You're beautiful in Neverland." I could see a faint blush color his cheeks and neck, like someone had taken a rose and lightly painted his skin with it. "How did you do it, make everything look so different?"

"Imagination, Harry." Draco pulled me towards our large bed and sat down on the edge. He held my hands and looked up at me. "Do you know what you look like to me, Harry?"

"What do I look like to you?" I was transfixed by my lover who had, by now, pulled me onto the bed as well.

"Harry, words can't describe it properly." Draco slowly climbed over me and I found myself on my back looking up at him as he laid kisses along my face, butterfly kisses across my forehead, down my nose, on my lips, on my cheeks, tickling my ears. Merlin, I needed him.

"I want you," I said again, my voice nearly cracking under the pressure. I was aroused beyond belief.

"Harry, you are beautiful to me. I want to show you what words can't describe." Draco started unbuttoning my shirt and all I could manage was a quiet "okay" as I let myself get lost in the sensations that were Draco.

* * *

A/N: I hope you liked it! I was a little worried how I went into that intimate part at the end where Harry was describing Draco like that. I'm worried that it's a little too mushy. If you think it is and it clashes with the rest of the story (with has been rather light-hearted so far), let me know and I'll change it. By the way the sex scene will be continued in the next chapter. They will go all the way. A full lemon! 

If you want me to write something that's not in Harry's POV, please let me know. I considered writing something in Draco's POV or in the POV of another character. I will only do it, though, if people request that I do. If you're happy with the way it is, then I'm happy with it, too.

I tried my best to explain the situation without doing an Author's Note in the middle of the story. In case anyone didn't catch it, here's the situation:

Homosexual (actual) pairings: Harry/Draco, Pansy/Hermione, Ginny/Luna, Ron/Blaise

Marriages (which are just covers so that society doesn't suspect them of being homosexual): Harry + Ginny, Draco + Pansy, Ron + Hermione, Blaise + Luna

I hope that clears up any questions. If you would like me to elaborate on their situation, perhaps tell you how everything came to be, I would be happy to do so. Just let me know.

**Review Responses: **(nobody flamed me!)

**Hmm.-I-Wonder**: It will be fun! Thanks for reviewing!

**QuincePaste**: Thank you for your review! I am no longer hesitant to post sex scenes on here. I will try to add as many as possible without making this story plot-less.

**AeroFlux**: Thank you! I'll update quicker next time (unless I get malaria or something).

**SassyJesterette**: Thank you for the name recommendation. I couldn't think of anything myself and I always thought Persephone was a nice name. Hope this chapter clears up any confusion! Thanks!

**-Lorkin-**: Thank you for reviewing!

**death by storm**: Thank you! I've updated!

**Marina.Sweden**: Yay! You like all my pairings! Thank you for your review!

**Beyond Immortal**: I bet you thought I would abandon this fic, didn't you? Well, guess what? I'm not going to abandon it! Ha ha ha! By the way, hoped you liked the chapter. I know how hard to please you are.

**fifespice**: You get my story! That makes me feel great! Thank you for reviewing!

**Nelly452**: Thanks for your support! I appreciate it!

By the way, one of the scenes of this chapter is taken from one of my favourite TV shows (it's an adaptation of sorts). If anyone can guess which scene and which TV show, I will dedicate the next chapter to you!

Thank you everyone! I hope you enjoyed!

- fireproof potatoes


	3. Queer Sensations, Events, and Behaviour

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned or manipulated in this story. The plot, however, is my own, and I would like for it to stay that way. I make no profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: I sincerely, absolutely, profoundly, totally, sincerely apologize for the tardiness of this chapter. Would you believe me if I told you I got sick, then flew to Europe, nearly had my heart broken (it was only scratched), flew back to Canada, and found out that I spent more money in Europe than I had intended? Oh yeah, I also have crazy amounts of homework to do, assigned by crazy teachers… I'm making excuses; I'm sorry.

I'm one of those people who hate it when an author doesn't post frequently. But now I've become one of those authors! Forgive me!

Seriously, though, I expect that updates will be very infrequent until school is over. Please bear with me! I assure you that I will NEVER ever abandon this story. In fact, I've written scenes that are going to happen much later. I have plans for this story, you know. I will not abandon it so please do not stop reading or looking out for updates!

About this chapter: This story is getting less funny by the minute. This chapter is loaded with a lot of stuff that may not inspire laughter. If you find that this chapter or the story in general is getting too politically charged or too law-ish, please REVIEW and let me know if it's not to your taste. I will re-edit this chapter and make sure that others are different if that's the case. However, if there are elements that you like about my story, I would also appreciate it if you could review and let me know. I would hate to get rid of something you like. Go ahead and criticize me: I can take it! Remember, your reviews keep me going! Every so often I look at them and I am inspired to write!

Anyways, this is my longest chapter yet. I hope you like it. Review Responses will be at the end.

Chapter Warnings: sex at the beginning, sex-related jokes, some scenes that are not-so-happy and some that are. Happy, that is. Someone gets hurt, severity undetermined.

This chapter is dedicated to

_Nelly452_

for correctly guessing that the scene in which everyone discusses the weirdest places they've ever had sex is taken from Friends, my favorite TV show.

---

---

---

---

---

**Undercover Queers and the Homophobic Society**

---

---

**Chapter Three: Queer Sensations, Strange Events, and Odd Behaviour**

I was lost. As Draco's fingers brushed over every part of my body, I got lost in the sensations. I couldn't tell if he was touching my chest or arm or face; the only thing I knew was that he was touching me. Everywhere.

The only thing I could see was Draco. His face, his body. There was nothing else here. It was just me and Draco. We were nowhere and everywhere at the same time.

His fingers touched some part of my body and I gasped.

"Draco… I"

"Shhh…" he whispered "Tonight, it's all about you. Just lie back and let me do everything." I squeezed his hand, which had become clasped in my own. He squeezed back and I relaxed, ready to accept every sensation and pleasure he chose to give me.

Then, I felt such intense pleasure as Draco's hand grazed over my straight cock.

"Oh… Don't stop." My fingers were playing with Draco's golden hair and his lips were pressed onto mine.

"Never," he said. I suddenly gasped as his slick fingers gently penetrated me. Moving them around, Draco incited such fantastic sensations within my body that I moaned with pleasure.

I could feel his fingers moving around, stretching my passage.

"Are you ready?" he whispered in my ear. I nodded, gasping as his fingers grazed a particularly sensitive spot within me. He pulled his fingers out and I was acutely aware of his cock pressing against me, looking for the entrance.

Then he pushed. My god, fingers were nothing compared to this!

We moved back and forth together, trying to get as much pleasure as we could from each other. I could hear him panting in my ear, his breath constantly tickling my neck.

I wrapped my legs around his waist and brought my mouth to his. We kissed and his hand went between us to grab my cock. Pumping it, I felt myself coming close to the edge.

Soon, I felt myself come in his hand. All my muscles flexed and I could feel Draco pull out of me before coming on the sheets.

We both lay there panting. Eventually, Draco kicked off the dirty sheet and moved towards me. He took me in his arms and whispered in my ear.

"Are you happy?" His eyes were closed, but a warm smile graced his features. I looked at him for a moment before answering.

"Yes, yes I am." His smile grew and he pulled me closer to him. I felt his heartbeat and suddenly I was covered by our quilt.

Soon, exhaustion overpowered me and I fell asleep in his arms.

-----------------------------

The next morning, I woke up to find Draco's side of the bed empty. I glanced at the clock: 11:45 AM. No doubt he'd gotten up hours ago. Draco could never sleep in past 9:30, no matter how tired he was or how late he'd gotten to bed.

I sighed as I stretched and sat up in bed. Finding the room chilly, I wrapped the comforter around me and walked across the room to the closet Draco and I shared. My side, which constituted perhaps one-fifth of the closet space, was very messy. It contrasted heavily with the way Draco's clothes on the other side of the closet were neatly hung on the hanger and folded on the shelves. Grinning slightly, I took note that he had decided to sort his clothes by color this morning. I grabbed an old sweater off the closet floor (on my side, of course) and a pair of sweatpants to wear that day. After I had dressed and washed up I started to leave the room. However, just as I was leaving, I noticed that I had left the closet door open. Knowing how much that would irk Draco, I returned to close it. It was the least I could do after last night, I figured.

As I descended the stairs, I stole a glance out of the landing window. It had snowed again last night. The entire front yard was a smooth, white landscape. Not a footprint had been made in it.

I felt something rub against my leg and looked down to see Persephone. She looked up at me but just as I was about to pet her, she hurried off towards the kitchen from which some noise seemed to originate. I chose to follow.

Walking into the kitchen, I was greeted with the sight of a delicious-looking pancake breakfast just waiting to be eaten. Draco, Ron and Pansy were sitting on the barstools and had empty plates before them. Ron's was, by far, the messiest. Ginny, like her brother, was still in her pajamas and had her hands on her hips. Hermione was cooking more pancakes as Ron proved to be insatiable. Persephone ran up to her and received a warm greeting and a brief scratch behind her ears.

"Come on! You guys can pee standing up," Ginny said indignantly.

"I should get up earlier if you guys have such strange conversations this early in the morning." I said as I grabbed a plate and loaded it with fresh pancakes. I sat down next to Ron and he stole two off my plate.

"You dimwit, this isn't early."

"Good morning to you, too, Draco." Though he couldn't sleep late, Draco most certainly was not a morning person.

"Where's Blaise? I'm surprised to see you up before him, Ron." Blaise was an early riser like Draco and Ron was, well, Ron. He hated waking up.

"He and Luna were up hours ago, "Hermione answered. "They went out on a lunch 'date.' They'll come back with some groceries."

"I see." I watched as Ron squirted obscene amounts of syrup on his pancakes and chose to just put butter on mine. "So what were you guys talking about when I first came in?"

"The differences between men and women." Pansy said. She was playing with the syrup left on her plate.

"And why men have it lucky, "Hermione added. "It's not easy being a woman, you know."

"Amen to that." Ginny said.

"Women live longer," I said.

"Already covered that," Pansy stated.

"Men don't have to push babies out of their bodies," Hermione said with a look in her eyes that said 'a-ha!'

"Neither do lesbians," Ron said. "Usually."

"Men lose weight faster." Pansy said, arching her eyebrow at Ron. "And can eat more junk food."

"None of you are overweight, so I don't see how that's relevant to our situation," Draco said.

"Oh, ok, you know what I don't get?" Ginny said, "The way guys can do so many mean things, and then not even care."

"No, that's a Slytherin thing, honey." Pansy said as she played with a straw in her mouth.

"Oh, wait!" I said. "I know why girls have it better than guys." Everyone turned to look at me and I knew that my reason would win this competition hands down.

"Multiple orgasms."

-----------------------------

I was cleaning up the breakfast dishes when I was interrupted by a tapping sound. Looking up, I saw that an owl was rapping its claw on the window. There was a newspaper held in its beak.

Draco, the only other person in the kitchen as everyone else had disappeared somewhere, got up from his seat, opened the window and allowed to owl to drop the paper on the table and perch on one of the kitchen chairs. Draco pulled five Knuts out of the jar we kept on the kitchen counter for this sort of thing and dropped the money into a small leather pouch on the owl's leg. Then the owl flew off through the open window.

"So, anything interesting in the news today, Draco?" I asked. When I didn't receive a reply, I turned off the water, dried my hands on the dishtowel, and walked towards Draco, who was sitting at the table, a look of pure concentration on his face.

Just then, I saw the front page. A picture of Ludo Bagman was on the front. He was being led out of his flat by at least three Aurors and was trying his best to hide his face from the camera.

The headline was this:

**Ex-Ministry official Ludo Bagman sodomy scandal**

Shocked at the headline, I slowly lowered myself into a chair opposite Draco. As far as I knew, Ludo Bagman wasn't even gay. How could this be?

Draco growled and gripped the paper as though to crumple it.

"It's absurd! The lengths to which these people will go! Completely biased and untrue is what it is." Draco threw the paper at me and I opened it up to the second page where the story would be.

-----

**Ex-Quidditch player Ludo Bagman is accused of homosexuality**

Rita Skeeter, Daily Prophet

LONDON – Former Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps, Ludovic "Ludo" Bagman allegedly committed sodomy with another man, whose identity is unknown. After an investigation, Aurors arrived at the residence of Bagman yesterday morning and arrested him for sodomy.

A reliable source, who wishes to remain anonymous, came forward to authorities on Sunday. "I recently discovered that Ludo Bagman was having sexual intercourse with a man who I do not know. When I found out, I was disgusted." The source, having mistakenly overheard Bagman discuss his misconduct through the floo, willingly donated his memory of the event to Aurors, who evaluated it and determined it to be reliable as evidence. Not an hour later, Bagman was arrested for sodomy. The maximum punishment for the crime of sodomy is death.

"He put up quite a fight," says one of the Aurors on the case. "He was denying everything and even tried to apparate away." Ludo Bagman is also being charged with resistance of arrest, which is punishable by three years in Azkaban.

Authorities are trying to discover the identity of the other man involved in this heinous crime. Authorities ask that anyone with information come forward and present their information to the Auror department at the Ministry of Magic.

Bagman's trial begins on Friday, September 22, 2000. He is currently held in a holding cell at the Ministry until his trial begins.

As of yet, no one has come forward to plead or testify on Bagman's behalf.

-----

"Oh, no, not again." I sighed. The ministry was infamous for removing dissidents by manufacturing evidence and holding unfair trials. The whole system was severely flawed and politically corrupt. Anyone who disagreed with the system or its beliefs was promptly removed.

Recently, Ludo Bagman had been lobbying for the rights of werewolves. During the war, he and Remus had become good friends and Ludo was often appalled at the discrimination Remus had to endure. The Ministry had even refused to honor Remus with an Order of Merlin for his services during the War. Remus saved more lives than any ministry official and they chose not to recognize his heroic deeds because of a bite he had received when he was but a child.

Ludo, like any other righteous man sobered by the war, advocated werewolf rights. And now, as a result, he was accused of homosexual intercourse.

I made a noise in my throat and threw the newspaper on the table. And the Minster for Magic claimed the wizarding world was a free one. I scoffed.

-----------------------------

"Well," Draco said at about two that afternoon, "I have a meeting with some investors in about forty-five minutes. Bye, love." He grabbed his coat and gave me a quick kiss on the cheek before leaving through the front door.

I returned to the living room and saw Ginny curled up on the couch, reading a magazine.

"Where are Hermione and Pansy?" I asked. Now that I no longer had Draco here to monopolize my attention, I became aware that I hadn't seen either of them for a number of hours. Ginny raised her eyebrow at me.

"Oh, they ran off somewhere. Pansy wanted to do something private for Hermione's birthday. They left hours ago." Before I could say anything more, she continued. "Blaise and Luna are still out on their 'date.'"

"Ron?"

"Sleeping." Of course.

"Well, I guess it's just you and me, Ginny," I said. She put her magazine down and looked at me apologetically.

"Actually, Harry, I'm about to leave for Diagon Alley. I found this beautiful, 'rare' magical device that I know Luna would just love. I wanted to get it for her." Ginny got up and ruffled my hair with her hand. "Sorry, Harry."

"Oh, that's alright. I don't mind. Besides, isn't it your anniversary soon?"

"Exactly."

-----------------------------

The sound could be heard from the bottom of the stairs. I could swear I felt the house shake with it.

Ron's snores. The loudest thing you'll ever hear, I guarantee you.

I trudged up the stairs and, doing my best to ignore his snores, went into my room. I didn't really want to stay in the house and so had decided to run some errands.

I let the newspaper article I had been holding drop onto the bed. Ludo Bagman's picture faced the ceiling and the Aurors grinned into the camera.

I quickly searched through all my clean clothes and found some nice slacks and a button-up shirt. After putting them on, I brushed my teeth and did my best to comb my hair. I was unsuccessful.

Giving up, I hid my wand in my sleeve, a habit from many years ago, and grabbed the article, folding it and putting it in my pocket.

I left a note for Ron on the kitchen table in case he woke up and wondered where everyone was. His waking up before dinner was unlikely, however.

As soon as I was out of the Apparition wards, I Apparated myself to a rather shabby part of London. There were a number of run-down office buildings, a pub, and an overflowing skip.

I stepped into a grungy old phone booth, picked up the receiver and dialed 6-2-4-4-2.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic. Please state your name and business," said the woman's voice from above my head.

"I'm Harry Potter. I'm here to save a friend." Then, I heard a click and rattle and a square silver badge with _Harry Potter, Rescue Mission_ on it came out of the coin slot. I pinned it onto my shirt.

"Visitor to the Ministry, you are required to submit to a search and present your wand for registration at the security desk, which is located at the far end of the Atrium." With that, the floor began to shake and sink slowly into the ground. Eventually, I was greeted with the sight of the Ministry Atrium.

"The Ministry of Magic wishes you a pleasant day." Yeah, I'll bet.

I walked down the hall towards the desk with the sign that said _Security_ above it. A small and rather bored-looking man sat behind the desk, eating a meatball sandwich. When I approached him, he looked up and recognized me immediately. He stood up and grabbed my hand, shaking it furiously.

"Mr. Harry Potter, sir! What a pleasure it is to meet you! My name is Dennis Bishop. What an honor it is to meet you, sir!" His whole face was stretched into a smile and he wouldn't let go of my hand.

"It's a pleasure to meet you too, Dennis. However, I'm afraid I have business to attend to here and must go quickly." He let go of my hand.

"Why, of course, sir! I imagine a rescue mission is no easy business and must be attended to immediately." I said nothing but let Dennis register my wand.

"Thank you," I said as I tucked my wand back into my sleeve.

"You're most welcome, sir!" Dennis called as I walked towards the lifts.

The golden grille of the lift slid back and I stepped into the lift. No one else was in the lift with me. The grilles slid shut and the lift began to ascend slowly. The same cool female voice from the telephone booth rang out again.

"Level Seven, Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League Headquarters, Official Gobstones Club and Ludicrous Patents Office."

The lift doors opened but no one got in. Instead a number of paper airplanes swooped into the lift. The doors closed and I ascended once more. The lift stopped at every floor and every so often, a paper airplane would come or go. Finally, I heard the woman's voice announce my stop.

"Level Two, Department of Magical Law Enforcement, including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters and Wizengamot Administration Services."

The lift stopped and the doors opened. I was startled to see Remus Lupin standing by the lift and he seemed just as surprised to see me.

"Remus, what are you doing here?" I stepped off the lift and stood next to my old friend and mentor.

"I've come to see Ludo, of course. You?" Remus looked horrible. His hair was a complete mess and his clothes were shabby. It looked as though the full moon was just last night but it was over two weeks ago that Remus had last transformed.

"Me, too." Remus seemed relieved at this and patted me on the back. "How is he?"

"I don't know. They won't let me see him." Remus's eyes drooped and it looked as though he hadn't slept at all.

"Remus, are you alright?" He looked at me quizzically, as though he were trying to decide something. Then he assured me he was fine, just worried about his best friend.

"I've come to visit him. I'll see what I can do for you. Just wait here, alright?" I squeezed his shoulder and walked towards the Auror Headquarters.

A man carrying a large amount of papers was walking down the hallway towards me. He saw me and his eyebrows knitted together, perhaps wondering why I was here.

"May I help you?" he asked.

"I would like to speak to the Auror in charge of Ludo Bagman." The man's face betrayed no emotion.

"Follow me, please." I followed him past a number of cubicles and he led me into an office piled high with papers and files. He set down the papers he was holding, brushed off his hands, and reached out to shake my own.

"My name is Frank Chorley. I am in charge of Ludo Bagman."

"Harry Potter." I shook his hand. "I request a visit with Ludo Bagman." Auror Chorley's eyebrow rose.

"May I ask why?"

"I would like to speak to a friend," I said with a tone of finality. He sighed.

"Very well, Mr. Potter. However, you cannot take your wand with you." I gave him my wand. "And another Auror will be present to monitor your conversation. It's procedure." I nodded and the Auror led me through a number of security doors to a holding cell.

Auror Chorley let me in and closed the door behind me. There was an Auror in the cell standing guard by the door. I looked across the room to a small bed. Ludo Bagman sat up and waved me over. I grabbed a chair and sat near him.

"Harry! What a pleasure to see you." Ludo had dark circles under his eyes, and I wondered if he had slept since his arrest. "You're my first visitor, other than these annoying Aurors." Ludo seemed a little disappointed when he said this, as though he had been hoping that someone would have visited by now.

"Remus has been trying to visit you for hours." Ludo smiled. "But they won't let him because he's a werewolf." Ludo's smile faded.

"Bloody prejudiced ponces." I wholeheartedly agreed. "Remus is a good friend, though."

I looked at Ludo. His contributions during the war were innumerable. The Ministry's treatment of him was horribly unjust.

"Ludo, do you have a lawyer?" Ludo looked at me but said nothing. "Do you have someone to represent you in front of the Wizengamot?" Ludo smiled bitterly.

"No lawyer in Britain is willing to take my case. I was going to represent myself." It was as I thought. No lawyer would ever, in his right mind, take a case in defense of a person accused of sodomy. All lawyers thought that it would damage their reputation. This lack of representation led to the defendants losing their trial and facing harsh consequences.

"Ludo, may I represent you?" I looked him in the eyes.

"Harry, you'd do that for me?" I nodded. "I would be honored to have you represent me."

"Good," I said. "Ludo, I'm going to try to get them to allow Remus in here. I'm also going to see if I can get you released."

I stood up and nodded at the Auror. The door opened and I found myself face to face with Auror Chorley.

"I need to speak with you." He nodded and we returned to his office.

"You would like to represent Ludo Bagman before the Wizengamot."

"I am more than qualified for the role." The Auror nodded. "I also assume you know what else I said in there." He nodded again. "I would like to see Ludo Bagman released until his trial."

"I'm sorry, Mr. Potter, but we can't do that." I was about to argue when Chorley spoke again. "However, Mr. Bagman can be put under house arrest until his trial. Wards would have to be installed and an Auror would have to stay at his residence to keep watch." I nodded.

"That is acceptable," I said. "Another thing – "

"You would like to allow Mr. Lupin a visit with Mr. Bagman."

"There is no law that says a werewolf cannot visit a person in Auror custody so long as the situation is deemed safe. The full moon isn't for another two weeks so there's no chance of his changing. Also, Mr. Bagman poses no threat to the situation."

"It seems as though you are right, Mr. Potter. I will allow Remus Lupin to visit Mr. Bagman but two Aurors shall be present, including myself. You understand why, I presume."

I nodded and made my way back to the holding cell where Ludo was being kept. Another Auror escorted me in and Ludo seemed surprised to see me again.

"Why are you back, Harry?" The Auror in the corner of the room monitoring our conversation was motionless.

"You are going to be allowed home under house arrest until your trial. I've also convinced them to allow Remus in. I will have to stay here as your legal representative, of course." The corners of Ludo's mouth turned up in a weary smile.

"Thank you, Harry. It means the world to me." I squeezed his shoulder and sat in a chair close enough to Ludo to hear anything said.

Just as I sat down, the door to Ludo's cell opened. Remus came in with Auror Chorley close behind. The door was locked behind him. Remus walked right over to Ludo and sat in a chair so that he was facing him.

"Remus."

"Oh, Ludo! I'm so sorry." Remus' face crumpled up like he was holding back tears. "You don't deserve this." Ludo made soothing noises and leaned forward to clasp Remus' hand.

"No touching please," the unknown Auror said gruffly. Their hands parted immediately. Remus looked warily at the Aurors in the room.

"No, Ludo. You shouldn't be here. I'm the one who – ."

"No, Remus. It was my decision." Ludo smiled. "I don't regret anything." Remus seemed to calm at these words. I felt as though I were intruding on some private conversation and so I faced the other way as Ludo and Remus said their goodbyes. I turned around again as Remus stood up and thanked the Aurors.

I waved goodbye to Ludo, who nodded back, and Remus and I were led out of the cell. After clearing up all legalities with Auror Chorley, making sure that Ludo would be taken to his flat as soon as containing wards and escape-preventing charms were put up, Remus and I took the lift back to the Atrium.

"Harry, that visit meant more to me than you'd understand. Thank you." Remus seemed more alive than when I first saw him at Auror Headquarters but his face still showed the weariness that years of fighting and losing can do to a person. To me, he had never seemed so old.

"Remus, would you join me for a bite to eat in Diagon Alley?" Just then, Remus' stomach growled fiercely.

"I don't think just a 'bite' would be enough to satisfy the werewolf inside me. I'm famished!"

-----------------------

Remus and I spent the better part of the next two hours sitting at a small café, enjoying a couple of filling meals, and talking about our lives. I told him about Hermione's birthday and assured him that she had received his gift well. When he asked about my marriage to Ginny, I nearly didn't know what to say. I had never told him the truth about my situation as I thought that it would only be a burden for him. I really wanted him to know, so that I could have somebody outside of my circle of homosexual friends to talk to about things (since Fred was no help at all), and I knew that he would never betray my secret. Even so, Remus' opinion of me meant so much that I had an irrational fear that he would shun me if he knew the truth. So, I let him think I was happily married to the girl of my dreams and that I was living the life of your typical heterosexual male celebrity.

"You seem pretty happy, Harry." I wanted to ask Remus why he seemed the complete opposite, why he seemed to envy my happiness, why he wasn't happy himself. But I knew that if I did, I would get no answer.

"I am happy."

"I'm glad." Remus smiled.

"Harry Potter?" A somewhat familiar female voice called my name and I turned around to see who it was. I recognized her as the shopkeeper from whom Ginny and I bought Hermione's new cat.

"Hello, um, I'm sorry, but I never caught your name." She smiled and looked me up and down.

"My name's Vanessa. Vanessa Porter." She was fidgeting and I saw her eye the chair next to me. I would have offered her a seat but I really didn't want her to sit with Remus and me.

"Please, have a seat." Remus pulled out the extra chair for Vanessa and she turned to look at him as though she hadn't realized he was ever there.

She sat in the chair and smiled at Remus. There was an awkward moment of silence until I broke it.

"Vanessa, this is Remus Lupin, my mentor and a very important person to me. Remus, this is Vanessa. She's the shopkeeper of Magical Menagerie. She sold us the cat."

They both said their 'nice to meet you's and Vanessa's attention was once again on me. Remus grinned at me like I was some sort of playboy and Vanessa just blabbered on about some thing or another.

"You know, Harry," Remus spoke up. "If you know more pretty girls like Vanessa, Ginny might become suspicious or jealous." He meant it entirely as a joke and I was about to retaliate with a witty remark when Vanessa spoke up.

"If she thinks Harry would cheat or be disloyal, she does not deserve to be his wife." Both Remus and I raised our eyebrows in surprise. My impression of her was hardly getting any better.

Just then, a large crash was heard. The whole café went silent and people were running around outside trying to see what had happened. A really bad feeling settled itself in the bottom of my stomach.

I ran out the door and caught someone who was running away from the sound's origin.

"What happened?" I yelled.

"The Gringott's sign, it fell down. Someone's hurt." That made no sense, whatsoever. There should have been spells cast on the sign to prevent any such thing from happening. Wards.

"What's wrong?" asked Vanessa. She and Remus had run out of the café after me. I didn't bother to answer her as a horrible thought had entered my mind.

Draco had gone to Gringott's to discuss business with his investors. It's where he always went for that sort of thing. That person had said that someone was hurt. What if it was Draco?

I raced towards Gringott's as fast as my legs would carry me. Panic rushed through my veins and I found it difficult to breathe. I pushed my way through the throng of people who were surrounding the fallen sign and, presumably, the body next to it.

When I finally managed to get through the crowd, I expected to see blonde hair matted with dirt and mud. Instead, the hair was red. I'm ashamed to say that I was initially relieved to see that it wasn't Draco's body next to that sign. Instead, it was the body of a petite woman with vivid red hair and freckles.

"My God! Ginny!" I pushed my past a few more people and ran towards her motionless body. There was a shopping bag lying not two feet away from her hand. It was, most probably, a gift for Luna. Please God, I prayed, let her still be alive.

Please.

--------------------

---

---

---

---

A/N: I hope you liked it! As I said at the beginning, I went out on a limb by changing the feel of the story. Please let me know if there was anything you didn't like. Even the smallest suggestion could greatly improve my story.

And please REVIEW! Your reviews revitalize me, give me plot ideas, inspire me, and keep me going. I'm writing this for the people who review my story!

**Review Responses:**

**Nelly452**: Yay! You got the TV show! Friends is awesome!

**Marina.Sweden**: I love receiving your reviews. I hope you like this chapter.

**Beyond Immortal**: You probably thought that I've given up on this story. Well, I haven't! Hope you like it too.

**Malfoy's Mask**: It was nice to receive your reviews. I'm glad that someone told me they liked the touch of Neverland as I was very worried about that part.

**QuincePaste**: I plan on having Harry show the rest of the world up. That's why I set up this whole Ludo Bagman case. Trust me, it'll get good.

**AeroFlux**: I didn't update quickly but I didn't catch malaria either. Like I said, updates will be rather sporadic until I no longer have to focus on school. Hope you can stick with this story through its rocky newborn phase.

**beatrixtheturtlequeen**: It was a pleasure to receive your review. It brought a smile to my face.

To everybody: thanks for your support!

- fireproof potatoes


	4. It's Not Easy Being Queer

Disclaimer: I do not own the characters mentioned or manipulated in this story. The plot, however, is my own, and I would like for it to stay that way. I make no profit from this story and no copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Finally! I got this one out! I'm terribly sorry for the wait, but like I said, that's the way it's going to be for a couple more months. To make up for it, though; this is my longest chapter yet! (approx. 8,000 words!)

Like I said last time, I won't know what you guys like or dislike about my story so please REVIEW and let me know. I really appreciate suggestions and just reading reviews makes me feel so good and makes me want to write more for you wonderful people.

I just wanted to promote a new website called BetaFinder. It's brand new so there aren't many members, but it's a place where writers can find betas and betas can find writers. Sign up and tell your friends so the site grows quickly! The link's on my author page.

Review Responses will be at the end, like always.

Chapter warnings: in my opinion, this is a pretty emotionally charged chapter, but there's nothing else in here, really, that would give you grief – oh! you'll find out about Ginny.

This chapter is dedicated to my best friend

_Beyond Immortal_

because she has been very supportive of me and my story and has given me some advice about fanfiction writing as she has read almost every story worth reading in the Harry Potter fandom. This dedication is so that she knows how much I appreciate and value her friendship and I want her to know that I love and care about her.

---

---

---

---

---

**Undercover Queers and the Homophobic Society**

---

---

**Chapter Four:**** It's Not Easy Being Queer**

_I remember__ how scared I was when I first saw the red hair. The body was just lying there on the ground and people fought around it as though dead bodies were a common occurrence. But, I guess in this situation, death was to be expected. The Death Eaters had long ago shed their masks and now, in a chaotic battle of ideology, the Dark was indiscernible from the Light. I remember seeing the mangled body and I remember knowing right away that it was a Weasley._

_The second one that would die in this unnecessary war._

_Ron stood beside me, too preoccupied to notice his brother's body. I didn't want to be the one to point it out._

"_Have you seen Ginny?" he asked me, "I can't find her anywhere." I didn't answer. I hadn't seen her. I muttered 'Stupefy' and watched a young woman fall to the ground. Nobody stopped to help her. _

_Then he saw it. I can only assume he caught sight of the red hair and nothing else because he started calling out his sister's name as he ran towards his dead brother. _

"_Ginny!" I blocked a spell that had been aimed at his back and followed him past werewolves and Death Eaters and bodies. _

"_Ginny!" he shouted again. I heard a Death Eater shout 'Avada Kedavr-'but the last syllable was replaced with a strange gurgling noise. 'Sectumsempra' got to him, no doubt._

"_Ginny!"__ Ron's voice was hoarse as he called his sister's name. I ducked under a flash of red light and picked up the pace. Ron still hadn't realized that he had lost another brother._

"_Ginny!"_

"Ginny!"

I ran towards her motionless body. The voices of the people around me were muted and it seemed as though it was just me and Ginny in the alley. I kneeled on the ground and barely noticed as my knees painfully hit the hard gravel. Her red hair was splayed on the ground like a halo.

I pressed my ear to her breast but if she was breathing, it was too faint to tell. I then grabbed her wrist and searched for a pulse. I started to feel the panic swell in my chest when I couldn't find anything. I gripped her small wrist desperately and tried again.

Still nothing.

"She's my wife," I cried, desperate for help. The crowd around me buzzed.

I searched my own wrist for a pulse and found one almost immediately, so I grabbed Ginny's other wrist and tried again. I held my fingers still and focused on only my fingers and her wrist. There! Faintly, I felt a pulse. I let out my breath and felt all my panicked emotions wash away. She was alive!

The sign that had fallen from Gringott's was large. It was Ginny's size and, I'm sure, weighed at least three times as much. Where had it hit her? I grabbed the bag that was lying next to my legs. It was a small bag, from a store I did not recognize. I tucked it into a pocket.

I put my hands behind her head so that I could lift it into my lap. I was surprised, however, and pulled my hands quickly away when I touched something wet and warm. I looked down and saw red on my hands. I looked at her hair again and saw that it was darker closer to her head. I felt it. It was wet, too. The panic started to grip me again. If half her hair was soaked, she must have lost a lot of blood.

Suddenly, a hand rested on my shoulder. I looked up and Remus was standing next to me, looking at Ginny.

A couple of people passed in front of me and I noticed they were wearing white robes. They magicked Ginny's body onto a stretcher and lifted her weightlessly into the air. I stood up and Remus' hand, which was tightly grasping my shoulder, led me into the crowd. He may have said something that was supposed to be comforting, but I never noticed.

Instead, I looked back at the place where Ginny had been laying. I saw a Healer magically vanish her blood. My gaze flickered to the crowd. Vanessa stood in front, her face gentled by some unrecognizable emotion. Our eyes met, and it seemed to me, suddenly, that I knew her – that she knew me, too – in some profound and certain way. I was transfixed by the magnitude of our connection, by the harsh coldness of her eyes, by the soft curl of her lips. Only when the crowd swallowed me up and blocked my view of her did I turn forward to let Remus lead me away.

Ginny's body floated on the stretcher ahead of me and the voices of the people around me grew to a deafening volume.

-------------------------------

"Ginny!"

I looked up from where I was sitting next to Ginny's bed, with her hand in mine, to see Ron come through the door.

"I got your owl and came as soon as I could. I left a note for everybody else on the kitchen counter." He looked at his sister, brushed her hair away from her forehead and kissed her lightly on the forehead. She didn't stir.

"How is she?" he asked, looking worried. I opened my mouth to answer when Luna and Blaise walked into the room.

"Oh my God! Ginny!" Luna ran up to Ginny's bed and when she saw the bandages around Ginny's head, her face screwed up as though in pain. With shaking hands, she frantically caressed Ginny's face, as though her soft touches would wake her up.

"We came as soon as we heard. Please tell us it isn't serious." Blaise stood next to Ron. The only way he could comfort his boyfriend in a busy hospital was with a quick squeeze on the shoulder, so Blaise forcefully pulled Luna away from Ginny's bed and held her close to his body. She tried to get out of his grip to touch Ginny but Blaise's grip was strong and she had to settle for merely looking at her unconscious lover.

"The Healers, they said that – " my voice broke and I cleared my throat. "They said that she was hit on the head pretty hard. They healed the wound but they can't determine the extent of her brain damage until she wakes up." Luna stifled a sob and hid her face in Blaise's shoulder. "They don't know how long that will be." Ron swallowed and gripped the side of the bed so that his knuckles turned white.

"She will wake up." I looked up to see Blaise holding Luna tightly against his body as her tears wet his shirt. Ron looked at his boyfriend with longing. Blaise's face, which was usually so carefree and relaxed, held a harsh quality that I hadn't seen since the war.

"She will. She's a Weasley after all."

---------------------------

I was startled awake when I felt a hand on my shoulder. I looked up to see Draco standing next to me. He was wearing his business robes and he looked at Ginny somberly. I felt an immense rush of emotion when I saw him and before I knew it, I was standing and holding him as close to me as I could manage.

"Harry." I felt his arms slowly come around me as he reciprocated my hug. I closed my eyes, enjoying the feel of his arms.

"Draco…" I rested my head on his shoulder and whispered with a shaky voice into his ear, "I was so scared."

"I know." His voice was soft and gentle. I thought of the passion we had shared only last night and I imagined what it would be like, if Draco were lying on that bed, to wonder if I would ever share a night like that with him again. I imagined what it would be like to lose another loved one.

I hugged him tight but faltered as I thought of Ginny's red hair and Ginny's warm blood. I looked over Draco's shoulder at Luna, who was seated next to Blaise in a couple of chairs across the room. They had both fallen asleep, like me, but Luna's tears had dried on her face and her eyes were red and swollen. I remembered my selfish relief at finding red hair instead of blond and my hold on Draco loosened even more. Then I looked over at Ron, who had fallen asleep with his head on his sister's bed. His hand was grasping hers. I imagined how horrible it would be to not know if I would ever see Draco's beautiful gray eyes again. Then I thought of Ginny's bright brown eyes and knew I would be sad if I never saw them twinkle or laugh or cry again. Ginny was like a sister to me. I may not have loved her like I loved Draco but I cared about her just the same. She was still loved, she was still important.

I let go of Draco and sat on the edge of Ginny's bed. I watched her eyelids flutter in agitation and felt her leg move beside me. I brushed her forehead with my hand but I saw no reaction or response from her. Her hand only moved reflexively. I stared at her pale face and prominent freckles and whispered _I'm sorry_.

_I'm so sorry._

---------------------------

"Oh, my poor baby!" The sound of Molly Weasley's worried voice woke Ron, Blaise, and Luna up.

"Mum…" Ron said as he stretched and yawned. However, before he could fully wake up, his mother pushed him out of the chair so she could sit down next to her daughter. Ron turned away from his mother, who was gently, but frantically, caressing her daughter's face. Instead, he solemnly greeted his brothers as they entered.

Charlie, who seemed to have a new set of dragon burns, was carrying a large bouquet of flowers. He put them next to Ginny's head on the bedside table.

"When she wakes up, she'll have something beautiful to look at," he said. Ron nodded and the two brothers briefly hugged.

Fred carried his son, Artie, in his arms, and followed his wife, Angelina, into the room. He closed the door behind him. Arthur, who had that strange intuition all little kids seem to have, sensed the grief in the room. He looked at Ginny, then indicated to his father that he wanted to be put on the ground. He ran to his grandmother, and poked her leg.

Molly Weasley stopped trying to get a reaction from her daughter and looked down at her five-year-old grandson. Artie reached up to give his grandma a warm hug, which was reciprocated fiercely. Molly wiped the tears from her eyes and gently released her grandson. Artie stood on his tiptoes to get a better look at Ginny and said softly,

"She looks like an angel."

I returned my gaze to Ginny and at first I couldn't see what this boy was seeing. At first glance, Ginny looked very sickly, with pale, drawn features, and she seemed to have thinned a bit. But then I decided to imagine what it would be like to look at Ginny through the eyes of a child. And I saw it. Ginny's pale, almost translucent skin gave her an almost ethereal quality. Her skin glowed in comparison to her red locks and dark eyelashes. She had a contented expression on her face, as though she were dreaming of something wonderful. She looked strangely beautiful with her odd angelic qualities, but more than anything, I wanted her to look more human, to regain her color and wake up.

The silence was interrupted when Mrs. Weasley asked if Percy had dropped by to see his sister yet. Ron's face screwed up as he tried to hide his disdain. Percy and the rest of the Weasley family were still on very bad terms. He had refused to attend his father's funeral as family; he came instead on official Ministry business and had left as soon as he could. He didn't even show at either of his brothers' funerals.

"We haven't seen him yet, Mrs. Weasley," Draco said. Mrs. Weasley looked at the floor in resignation. She had lost a husband and two sons at the hands of Death Eaters. She had always prayed that she wouldn't lose another to the Ministry. Even after six years, she still desperately grasped at the thin strands of hope that threatened to snap with the slightest pressure.

"Would it be alright if it could just be Ginny's family in here? Only for a couple of minutes, that's all." Mrs. Weasley looked apologetically at the occupants of the room as she quickly asked for some time with her daughter.

Draco and Blaise strode toward the door without hesitation. Luna lingered a bit, waiting for me. I got up to go as well when Mrs. Weasley spoke again.

"Oh, Harry, dear, you don't have to leave. This must be just as horrible for you as it is for us; maybe worse since you're the one who found her. You can stay here, with us. You married Ginny, after all." Mrs. Weasley looked like she was trying to be considerate, but she really didn't know how harmful her words were. "You're family."

I looked at Luna, who was standing in the doorway, and had heard Mrs. Weasley speak. She seemed to be on the verge of tears and I had a sudden urge to tell Mrs. Weasley that I didn't love Ginny nearly as much as she thought I did, that I didn't love Ginny nearly as much as Luna did. But I couldn't.

I looked back at the Weasley's and both Fred and Ron were looking at me. They nodded slightly and I shifted my gaze from them to Mrs. Weasley, who was holding her daughter's hand.

"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley," I said politely. "I appreciate the offer but I've been here since Ginny was brought in and, don't think me rude, but I should go home and change." I was still wearing the clothes from earlier that morning. They had been magically cleaned to remove Ginny's blood and the dirt from the ground but they didn't feel very clean to me. Mrs. Weasley smiled at me.

"You go home and rest, dear; you look like could use a nice nap." I said my farewells to the Weasley family, grabbed my jacket, and, as I headed out the door, I heard Mrs. Weasley ask Ron where Hermione was.

I closed the door behind me and stood in the hall where Blaise, Draco, Luna, and surprisingly, Remus, were standing.

"Remus…"

"Harry, my boy, this must be very difficult for you." I noticed that Luna was back in Blaise's arms and I noticed that she was shaking. I didn't hear her sobs, though; she probably didn't want to catch Remus' attention.

"I'm afraid I can't stay," he said, "but I hope you know that if you need someone to talk to, you can call on me any time." Remus patted me on the shoulder. "You have my wish for her full recovery." He leaned close to me so the others wouldn't hear. "Thank you so much for offering to represent Ludo, but if you choose to focus on your wife's recovery at this time, Ludo will understand." I was about to protest when Remus spoke again.

"You don't have to save everybody, Harry. It's okay. I wouldn't want you to lose the love of your life." I closed my mouth and wondered who it was that he had loved and lost so long ago. His eyes were full of sadness and what I thought may have been a spark of hope. I merely nodded and said goodbye and Remus walked down the hall away from us.

"He always looks so sad," Blaise said. Luna was no longer weeping in his arms, but he hadn't let go of her. I nodded in agreement and turned when my name was called. I saw Hermione and Pansy running down the hall toward us.

"Harry! Is she alright? We would've been here earlier, but we just got back." Hermione was panting slightly and the sweat on her forehead made the hair around her head a little frizzier. They must have rushed here, I thought to myself.

I looked at the closed door to Ginny's room and read the name on the door. _Mrs. Ginevra Potter_ it said. My wife. The woman I married was behind that door, unconscious and it wasn't even certain that she would wake up. And out of the people standing out here in the hall, I, her husband, wasn't even the most distraught. Suddenly, I wanted to leave very quickly.

"Look Hermione, I've got to go home and wash up. Perhaps Blaise or someone can fill you in. The Weasleys are in the room. I'm very tired." It wasn't a lie. It can't have been very late in the evening but it felt like I hadn't slept in four days.

Hermione nodded and embraced me briefly.

"Rest up, okay?" I nodded and as I turned to walk down the hall, I felt a hand squeeze my shoulder. I turned my head to see Draco and I smiled at him for a moment, before I willed myself to leave his grip and walk down the hall to the lift. At that moment, I just wanted to lie in bed with Draco and have him hold me in his arms to get away from it all.

I heard footsteps behind me and turned to see Luna running down the hall towards me. I stopped to let her catch up.

"I want to go home, too," she said quietly.

"Are you sure?" I asked. She didn't answer for a while.

"No… but I'm going to go home anyways."

---------------------------

The fire was crackling softly and the warmth spread in invisible wisps around the room. Luna and I had finished the last of this morning's pancakes in awkward silence and now she was curled up in a crocheted blanket given to us from Mrs. Weasley. She sat on the couch and stared into the flames.

I thought back to the little bag I had picked up off the ground when I found Ginny. Her anniversary present to Luna. I hadn't looked at the package yet and it was still sitting in my jacket pocket in the closet. They would be celebrating their third anniversary in a couple of days. Or, they would be, if Ginny wasn't in the hospital.

Persephone, who, I suppose, had just finished her dinner, hobbled over to Luna and stared up at her from the floor. The cat then jumped onto the couch with great difficulty and snuggled up next to Luna. Luna never shifted her gaze from the fire and the silence between us was palpable.

I searched my mind for something to say, anything to say, if only to break this insufferable silence, but my mind came up blank. I guess I could have asked her how she felt but as guys don't usually talk about their feelings, I really had no idea what I should say. Luna solved that problem for me, though.

"What was it like to see her lying there?" Luna remained transfixed by the fire and her voice was soft, almost inaudible. "Were you scared?" She slowly turned her head toward me and I could see the light from the flames flicker in her silvery grey eyes. Very rarely did her eyes lose their dreamy look; very rarely did she look like she had lost all hope. Luna was the one who always kept on believing even when everyone else had lost hope, but not now. Now, her eyes contained only sadness.

"I was so scared," I replied quietly, "so incredibly scared." I remembered seeing Ginny's still body next to the large Gringott's sign and my memory shifted to a time where I discovered the body of another Weasley lying still on the ground. The first son that would die.

_I finally caught up to Ron, who stood__ and stared at his brother's body. _

"_It's not Ginny," he said. No, it was not Mrs. Weasley's youngest child who had died that day. It wasn't her youngest who was lying dead in the middle of chaos. It was her eldest. Bill's body lay there, ripped apart by werewolves. I looked sadly at Ron and dodged another curse. _

"Do you know how I felt when I first found out that Ginny was hurt?" Luna looked next to her at the cushion on which Persephone was currently sleeping. "When Blaise and I read Ron's note, I thought the world had ended.

"The whole way to the hospital, I kept on imagining the worst. My imagination turned against me and the whole way there, I kept on imagining these horrible scenarios, each one for horrifying than the last. I was so distracted that Blaise had to grip my arm and use Side-Along Apparition. I remember the quick beat of my heart as Blaise and I ran down the hallway to her room. Panic squeezed my chest and I had to remember how to breathe." Luna wrapped the blanket tighter around her body and I remembered how another blond woman had grieved for a Weasley.

_Fleur came crying into the mortuary cold chamber where Bill's body lay under a blanket, waiting to be buried. The diener had put his body back together as best he could, but Bill was still nearly unrecognizable. _

"_Let me see him!" Charlie and Ron moved to restrain Fleur. They grabbed hold of her shoulders and led her away from the examining table. Mrs. Weasley looked at Fleur with compassionate tears in her eyes. _

"_You don't want to see him, my dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "You should remember him as he w–" _

"_No!" Tears were cascading down her cheeks and her complexion, which was normally perfect and pale, was now red and blotchy. "Let me see him!" She escaped from the grips of her brother-in-laws and strode up to the diener. "He is my husband. I have a right to see him." _

_The diener sighed and turned towards the blanket under which Bill lay. He grasped the edges that were near Bill's head and started to slowly pull them down to reveal the body underneath. _

_Fleur screamed and her tears fell to the floor._

Now, Luna's face resembled Fleur's from three years ago. Luna's blond hair was limp and hung off her head like it didn't belong there. Her eyes were still swollen from earlier and her face was discolored.

"When I saw the bandages on her head, I was both relieved that she wasn't dead and terrified that she would just stop breathing any second. I touched her face, brushed my hands over her lips and nose and eyes and whispered her name in her ear. She didn't wake up and I felt abandoned. She didn't even twitch." By this time, Luna had tears streaming down her face, but I was too transfixed to get up and comfort her. All I could do was think of how this horrible experience was so reminiscent of the horrors that had occurred during the war, of how this reminded me of the sorrows that resulted from the war.

_The thing that sticks out the most in my mind when I remember Bill'__s funeral was not the well-written eulogy or beautiful music or even those who came to cry and pay their respects. It was Fleur. _

_She never cried. Not once. I guess she had used up all her tears. _

_She sat at the front, with the Weasleys. And though her mother-in-law cried next to her, she never shed a tear. She only sat there and looked sad, looked hopeless. It seemed, to me, as though a part of her had died with Bill._

_She didn't seem to pay attention to the ceremony at all and afterwards, when people came to talk to her and give their condolences, she hardly spoke to or acknowledged anyone. _

_I remember after about an hour of meaningless chitchat, that Fleur suddenly stood up and said in a surprisingly loud voice, 'Goodbye, and thank you.' As soon as she said those words, she left. _

_No one has seen her since. _

"If I could've, I would have lain down on the bed next to her and drifted into sleep and dreamt that I was in a place with her, where we could be together, without worry, without restrictions, without the world, without prejudice." Luna's voice became louder and stronger and Persephone looked up at Luna with lazy eyes.

"But I couldn't. Because, according to the rest of the world, I'm not the one who's in love with her."

I felt a twinge of guilt because I knew that Luna had a point. The person she most wanted to be in the world right now was me. But I was also in the same position. Pansy could do things with Draco in public that I would never be allowed to do. I said nothing because I knew that she needed to say these things, and that she had struggled not to say them earlier.

"What's the worst about this whole situation is that I can't stay by her side all day and night and I can't kiss her forehead or hold her hand because that's your job! I can't take her to fancy restaurants or ask her to marry me in front of hundreds of clapping people.

"I've always wanted to yell out my love for her on top of the highest building for the world to hear, but I can't. I can't freely show her how much I love her because there would be questions." Luna's voice nearly broke as she said this, and I looked at her with compassion and understanding in my eyes.

"The only time I can show my affection for her is behind closed doors, where no one will see." Now, Luna sobbed uncontrollably and I quietly got up, pushed Persephone aside, sat next to her on the couch and held her in my arms.

"I love her," she said, as she cried into my shoulder. "I love her so much and nobody knows." I sat with her for a while, with her face buried in my chest, because I understood how it felt. As much as I cared for Ginny, I always found myself taken aback whenever someone commented on how much in love we were. On more than one occasion, I've had to stop myself from automatically correcting the person and saying that we weren't in love – just married. I was in love with Draco and Ginny was in love with Luna. I was married to a woman I did not love and who did not love me back.

And the man I loved was in the same situation.

How much I would give to playfully grope Draco under a table in a fancy restaurant. How much I would give to kiss his neck spontaneously in Diagon Alley. How much I would love to walk through Hogsmeade hand-in-hand with him. How much I would give to exchange rings and exchange vows with him and call myself his spouse.

I played with the ring on my left ring finger. A sign that I was spoken-for. I had exchanged it with Ginny and, to us, our matching rings did not signify love or marriage. To us, our rings represented friendship. Nothing more. But whenever someone saw it on my finger, they would congratulate me and I would always think to myself that I wasn't nearly as lucky as everyone thought. After all, I was in love with Draco and no one knew.

They all thought that when I daydreamed, I dreamed of Ginny or that when I bought a gift, it was for Ginny, or that when I smiled, it was because I was married to Ginny. But they were wrong. And they would always remain wrong as long as I could not show Draco how much I loved him in public.

I could always show Draco how much I loved him when we were at home. On more than one occasion, I've told everybody else to scram so that Draco and I could enjoy a romantic candlelit dinner. I've bought him plenty of gifts and kissed him many times.

But Luna was right. It wasn't the same. It wasn't enough. Why was a man allowed to get on his knees and propose to a woman in the middle of Diagon Alley when I can't even kiss the man I love without serious repercussions? Why was a man able to marry a woman when I couldn't even say 'I love you' to the man I love? Why were a man and woman able to make love when I would be jailed for doing the same thing with the man I love?

I looked into the fire as Luna calmed down. The flames had died down and now, our source of warmth was nothing more than embers, nothing more than small specks of glowing light surrounded by vast darkness.

Why weren't people like us allowed to love to our full capacities? If we wanted to love, we had to do so in secret.

What kind of love is that?

--------------------------------

"I didn't even know…" I heard someone say as I walked into the usually quiet kitchen the next morning. I would have asked what it was they didn't know but I was too tired to humour my curiosity this morning.

I poured some corn flakes and milk into a clean bowl and sat next to Ron at the kitchen table. As I lifted the spoon to my mouth, Ron spoke up.

"We'll help you, okay?" Everybody looked at me as though I were a hero. "With the trial, I mean. We'll help you defend Ludo." I set the spoon in my bowl and leaned back.

"I'm not going to represent him," I said. Most of them seemed surprised, but Luna just sat at the end of the table and quietly ate her cereal.

"Why not?" Draco asked sharply.

"Because Remus is right. I don't need to save everybody. I need to be there for Ginny right now." I crossed my arms and avoided my friends' eyes.

"No, you don't, Harry." I looked up when Hermione spoke and her eyes were suddenly staring straight into mine. I shifted my gaze. "There's nothing you can do to help her, Harry. She's comatose. There's nothing you can do."

"I can pray," I said, looking for a reason, looking for something to defend my decision, which I knew in my heart to be selfish. "I can hope."

"But you don't need to," Luna said quietly, looking up from her bowl. "I'm already doing that. Ginny's family is already doing that. Everyone here is already doing that. Ginny's got so many people on her side. She's got so many people who are doing their best to get her to wake up.

"But Ludo needs someone like you on his side. He's up against the world and he's alone." Luna lifted her head and looked at me. Her grief from the night before was still apparent but perhaps something had changed last night. She seemed surer of herself today; she seemed stronger. Me, I felt weaker.

"He's not alone," I said in the hopes that they would let this drop. "He's got Remus." Hermione sighed like she did when she was frustrated.

"It's not the same, Harry, and you know it," Hermione snapped. "He may have Remus, but he needs you." I was about to protest when Hermione said something that was strangely reminiscent of Remus' words yesterday.

"You can't save everybody, Harry. But you _can_ save Ludo." With that said, everyone but Luna left the kitchen, so that I could mull things over in my head.

If you couldn't save everybody, how did you choose who should be saved and who shouldn't? How did you choose who to save?

Luna sat at the end of the table, quietly eating her cereal. I returned to mine and brought the spoon to my mouth but recoiled when the corn flakes hit my tongue. They were soggy.

I pushed the bowl away and left.

----------------------------------

When I walked into Ginny's hospital room, I saw Mrs. Weasley looking at something across the room and smiling slightly. I also noticed another bouquet of flowers next to Ginny's bed.

"Hello, Harry," a voice said from my left. I looked to see who had greeted me and saw Vanessa sitting in a chair against the wall. "What a coincidence; Mrs. Weasley and I were just talking about you." She smiled and I felt my face redden as I remembered the way our eyes had connected as Remus steered me away from Gringott's yesterday.

"What a charming friend you have, Harry, dear!" Mrs. Weasley said. "You should've introduced me to her earlier."

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," was all I could think of to say. I didn't want to ask Vanessa to leave, but I was acutely aware of her eyes upon me and that, added with my embarrassment of our connection yesterday, made me very uncomfortable.

But Mrs. Weasley seemed to be enjoying Vanessa's company so I remained silent. Every so often, I could feel Vanessa or Mrs. Weasley's gaze on me but I never looked at either of them and, thankfully, neither one ever tried to include me in the conversation.

Instead, I thought about Ginny, and what she would have me do in this situation. Would she yell at me for choosing not to represent Ludo? Probably. She would tell me that I was giving up or something. But I didn't want to give up on Ginny, either. If I took on Ludo's case, I wouldn't ever get a chance to visit Ginny.

How did you choose who to save?

----------------------------

"Harry." I was startled out of my reverie when Mrs. Weasley called my name. "It's rather rude to ignore the other people in the room when they're speaking, don't you think?" I threw a sheepish look Mrs. Weasley's way.

"Oh, no, that's alright, Mrs. Weasley," Vanessa said. "I'm sure he's very tired from all the stress recently." Her voice was soft and sweet but I knew that she wanted me to listen to her.

"Did you know that Vanessa grew up in a Muggle orphanage? And that she didn't know that she was magical until she was eleven, like you?" Mrs. Weasley asked me. I didn't, but now my curiosity was piqued.

"Really?" Vanessa looked at me with big eyes like she was amazed that I would have any interest in her.

"Yes," she said, quietly. "I lived at the London Orphan Asylum for eleven years and six summers after that. I've never met my parents before." For a second, the name of her orphanage sounded familiar, like it was something that I should remember, but couldn't. I let it go, and she continued her story.

"But then something horrible happened," she said. "The Dark Lord attacked my orphanage just two weeks before I turned sixteen." Of, course, I thought. I remembered hearing about that attack in the Prophet. It was the same place Voldemort was raised and had grown to hate. I thought they had said that there had been no survivors, though.

"I was terrified. I remember the walls coming down around me and I remember the screams of all the other children in the orphanage. But I also remember being saved. I was saved by a handsome young man, just one or two years older than myself. He took me away from the wreckage and nursed me for a week before suddenly leaving."

"Why did he leave?" Mrs. Weasley asked. She seemed to be totally enraptured by Vanessa's story.

"It doesn't matter because I found him again," Vanessa said, looking at Mrs. Weasley. She smiled again. "Everything will work out in the end."

"What happened to you after?"

"An older man took me in, a wizard, and home-schooled me for my remaining year. I grew to love him so much; he was like a father to me. He taught me so much about the world."

"Who was this?"

"His name was Richard Porter. I took his last name as my own after he died. I was on my own for a little while after that but then a wonderful woman named Elizabeth Harvey, the woman who owns Magical Menagerie, took pity on me and I've lived with her until this day. She lost her daughter a number of years ago and insists that I call her 'mother.' It makes her feel better, she says."

"Oh, my," was all Mrs. Weasley said after that. Vanessa just shrugged and smiled.

"There are times when I wish I had met my parents or when I wish Richard was still here, but my life has been nothing in comparison to some other people I know. With the Second Wizarding War, so many people have lost loved ones. My life is no different than anybody else's. It just had different people in it, that's all."

----------------------------

I returned home in the afternoon to find the house empty. I sighed and opened the closet door to put my jacket away. As I hung it up, I noticed that the pocket had something in it.

I reached in and pulled out a small bag. Ginny's gift to Luna. The package fit in the palm of my hand but was heavy, like a rock.

I took it upstairs with me and sat on the bed I shared with Draco. I dumped the contents of the bag onto the bed and saw a large spherical object that seemed to be made out of glass bounce on the bedsheets. I had no idea what on earth it could be and there was no label or set of instructions with it. As I placed the odd object back into the bag, I noticed that something else had fallen out onto the bed. A little silver locket lay open innocently on the bed and as I picked it up, I could not help but notice that there was a picture of Luna and Ginny on one side of the locket and a message on the other.

_You're all I could ever need in this world. For lending me your strength, __you have all my love and affection._

I shouldn't have read it, I know, because it wasn't for me to read, but Ginny's words were all I needed to decide.

I kept the oil lit that night, researching and preparing for Ludo's trial until the early hours of the morning.

-------------------------------

"You are to plead 'not guilty' Ludo, is that clear?" I said as I walked towards Ludo Bagman, who was waiting outside the Courtroom Ten on the tenth floor of the Ministry.

"Harry! Remus told me what happened. You don't have to be here, you know." Ludo had bags under his eyes and he slouched in his seat, like he couldn't hold himself up.

"Remus told me that I can't save everybody, and he's right." I looked Ludo in the eye. "There's nothing I can do for Ginny right now, but there's something I can do for you. So, here I am, and you're going to plead 'not guilty'." Ludo tried to smile but it looked more like a grimace. I had a sneaking suspicion.

"Sir," I said to the Auror, who was standing off to the side, "I would like to speak to my client in private. Anything said during this conference cannot be used as evidence against my client as my client is merely consulting his attorney. We will only be a couple of minutes." The Auror showed us a small room off to the side and Ludo and I went in and locked the door.

"Ludo, did you have sex with a man?" Ludo looked at the floor and wrung his hands together.

"Yes," he said, reluctantly. I sighed. Things just got a thousand times more difficult. I actually thought the sodomy charge was just fabricated so that the Ministry could get Ludo to shut up about werewolf rights. I never actually thought it was true.

"You will still plead 'not guilty' is that understood?" He looked up at me and opened his mouth to say something but we were interrupted with a loud knock on the door.

I opened the door and the Auror from earlier told us quietly that the trial was about to start and we were requested to go into the courtroom. I felt a rush of cold air as I walked into Courtroom Ten and our footsteps echoed loudly as Ludo and I walked into the center of the courtroom. The walls were dimly lit by torches and a chair with chains on the arms and legs sat in the middle of the room. Next to it was a chair that I assumed was for me. I was wooden and looked very uncomfortable. I sat in it anyway.

Ludo tentatively sat in the formidable-looking chair and, as soon as he sat down, the chains moved to bind him to the chair. In the bench above, there were about fifty people seated, wearing plum-coloured robes with an elaborate silver 'W' on the left-hand side of the chest. Some of them I recognized from my disciplinary hearing five years ago and some of them, it seemed, recognized me.

"Harry Potter," said the man with a large black mustache. I couldn't remember his name, but I didn't really try to either.

Dolores Umbridge, who, unfortunately, survived the war unscathed, had been unbelievably elected as the new Minister for Magic, and sat in the very middle of the front row next to Percy Weasley. On her left was Madame Marchbanks, who smiled at me warmly. Minerva McGonagall, Headmistress of Hogwarts, had joined the Wizengamot just last year, and sat next to Marchbanks.

"Hem hem." Umbridge stood and coughed in a pretense of civility to get everyone's attention, even though the entire room had been silent before she made that annoying sound.

"Criminal trial of the twenty-second of September," said Umbridge in a high-pitched, breathy voice that made me want to gag. I looked at the back of my hand, where I had carved into myself on many a night when Umbridge had forced me to write lines for detention until my skin was raw. "into offences committed under the Decree for the Restriction of Crimes Against Nature and the Decree for Compliance with Law Enforcement by Ludovic Edward Bagman, resident at number ten, Terrapin Road, London.

"Interrogators: Dolores Jane Umbridge, Minister for Magic; Gawain Albert Robards, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Percy Ignatius Weasley, Senior Undersecretary to the Minister; Madame Griselda Ann Marchbanks, Narcissa Malfoy…"

I was surprised when I heard that name. I looked up and I saw immediately that Draco's mother was sitting next to Robards in the front row. Her long blond hair was the exact same colour as Draco's. She had her arms crossed and glared down at Ludo. Her lips were curled into a nasty sneer and I suddenly wondered how she could have produced such an amazing son.

"…Harry James Potter, Representative for the Defence…" Umbridge's voice seemed a little less breathy when she spoke my name, if my hearing wasn't playing tricks on me.

Narcissa's gaze shifted to me and she stopped sneering. Instead, her lips pursed tightly. I could only guess that she thought I was the reason Draco had decided to join the Order of the Phoenix. As far as I knew, Draco rarely contacted his mother as every time he spoke to her, she was criticizing his friends or his lifestyle or something else.

Umbridge paused and the scratching of a quill on paper stopped as well. She pulled a piece of paper out of a pile in front of her, coughed again, and started to read the charges.

"The charges against the accused are as follows:

"That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, have sexual intercourse with another man at some point in the past two weeks, which constitutes an offence under Paragraph A of the Decree for the Restriction of Crimes Against Nature, 1654;

"That he did knowingly, deliberately, and in full awareness of the illegality of his actions, resist arrest and attempt to elude Auror Frank Chorley, who was attempting to make the arrest, on the nineteenth of September at twenty-four minutes past nine, which constitutes an offence under Section 24 of the Decree for Compliance with Law Enforcement, 1879.

"You are Ludovic Edward Bagman, of number ten, Terrapin Road, London?" Umbridge said, looking at Ludo over the top of her parchment.

"Yes," Ludo said.

"How do you plead?"

There was a pause. If he said 'guilty'…

"How do you plead, Mr. Bagman?" Umbridge said forcibly.

"I plead… not guilty."

--------------------------------

---

---

---

---

A/N: I really hope you liked it! I'm iffy about some parts but, overall, quite proud.

I really tried to make sure that Vanessa was not Mary Sue-ish. She will have an important role to play later on but if anyone thinks she resembles your cookie-cutter Mary Sue, let me know, and I will change her!

By the way, anyone who can guess (except you Beyond Immortal, because you already know) who Ludo was sleeping with, the next dedication is for you. I've put clues in this chapter and the last but I don't know if it is too subtle or totally obvious. Anyways, whoever guesses it (first), next chappie is yours!

The next chapter will have something exciting between Harry and Draco (because I know they hardly interacted this time and I don't want to deprive you of some good H/D slash!) By the way, I'll add some comic relief too next time; this chapter was quite morbid.

Please REVIEW! Like they say, a review a day keeps the writer writing.

A diener is the person responsible for handling and washing the bodies in a mortuary (morgue, in American English).

By the way, if anyone's wondering why Ginny's moving as though she's merely asleep, it's actually quite normal for a person in a coma to make movements, sounds, and experience agitation; they may also have reflexes that mimic conscious activities.

**Review Responses:**

**Araidel:** So glad you liked the Harry-representing-Ludo thing – I wasn't sure how people would react to that, but now I'm happy I put it in (I wasn't going to, you know)

**fifespice:** Thank you so much for reviewing my chapters. You know, your comment on chapter two really made me think about my story – thanks for pointing it out!

**death by storm:** Short, but sweet. Thanks for reviewing!

**Kokou:** Thank you so much for understanding why my updates are so slow. You made me feel so much better about not getting a chapter out each week, like some authors manage.

**the unloved:** Sorry this wasn't soon, but this chapter is definitely more!

**Your Mom Is My Heart:** Thank you so much for reviewing! When I read your review for my second chapter I burst out laughing. I actually thought Tripod was a funny name, too – that's why I put it in.

**aussiegirl587:** Thank you so much for saying I'm a great writer! You made my day absolutely! I know I didn't update this story quickly (sorry), but I've been brainstorming some plot ideas for more H/D, just because you requested it. If I write another Harry/Draco story for you, I think I want to make it more fluff and more sex. Any ideas?

**Nelly452:** So glad you liked your chapter! I really hope this chapter is better though (or the same; not worse). Thank you for reviewing!

**QuincePaste:** Wow. I think you're the first person ever who has thanked me for writing something. I would say thank you back but 'thank you' just doesn't cut it in this case. 'Thank you so much' is a much better phrase.

**Marina.Sweden:** I love your review – it's so fun to read how you feel about my story. And what you wrote about in the brackets I hadn't really thought about – it was really insightful of you.

**Beyond Immortal:** Thank you for reviewing (even though I had to nag you about it!). This one's yours.

**DecimatedDice:** Well, I must say, I am glad you like my story. If you think I coerced you into reading and reviewing, I'm sorry, but reviews mean a lot to me so thank you.

Thank you everyone for reading my story and giving me support!

- fireproof potatoes


End file.
